Riley Carter Harvelle
by Marloweee1856
Summary: Being a hunter is a lifestyle; it ain't a fun one, nor is it the most ideal. But it keeps the monsters at bay and the ever-oblivious humans safe. Riley Harvelle, a hunter and a supernatural day-trader, arrives home from her trip to England and finally meets the famous Winchester brothers, who have a lot of questions regarding their father and more. Let the hunt begin. (Season 2)
1. Prologue (Edited)

**Disclaimer: I don't own any characters or plots from Supernatural; all rights belong to their rightful owners. But, I do own any original character or plot lines written in this story.**

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**Riley Carter Harvelle**

**Prologue**

...

Sam Winchester was desperate. Desperate for what? Well, there were quite a few things actually. Killing the yellow-eyed demon and avenging his family, for one. But neither Winchester brother had any idea on where to start. They were back at square one again. It was like some sick game of Sorry and they were right back at the starting point. The one weapon—the _only_ weapon they had against the sick son of a bitch was _gone_. Vanished. Along with the demon. And their father's life. That couldn't be a coincidence now, could it? Ha! The Winchesters didn't believe in coincidences and they were right not to. John Winchester's death wasn't some simple heart-attack or whatever the hell those doctors said had been the cause of death. John Winchester did _not_ leave this world because of a friggin' heart-attack.

Then there was Dean. Sam's older brother—big, tough guy—who had also been on his death-bed not even five days ago. The doctors literally giving the news that Dean was going to die. That there was no hope—and for a small while, Sam really did think his brother was going to die. And of course, it would have been another Winchester dying at the hands of the yellow-eyed demon. Dean was in _bad_ shape when he was brought into the hospital. He was having his insides practically being liquified by yellow-eyes—who at the time was possessing their father without their knowledge. And then the three of them get hit by a freaking semi-truck. Un-freaking-believable. Seriously. Their entire lives is just one gigantic crap-storm. And Dean was currently in the eye of that storm. Then out of nowhere, Dean shoots up from his hospital bed—alive and no longer suffering from internal injuries. There wasn't a thing wrong with him. And then their father drops dead minutes later. Sam didn't quite understand what was going through his brother's head at the moment. He knew it must have been a lot harder on Dean when it came to grieving over the loss of their father. Come on, Dean looked up to the man like he was god. But they way Sam saw it was a soldier looking up to his drill-sergeant. Don't get him wrong, he always loved his father despite of what might of happened in the past. He didn't like his father's ways and the kind of lifestyle he wanted his children to live. Regardless, Sam Winchester loved his father. But Dean? Dean kissed the ground his father walked on. Dean's relationship with their father was a lot closer than Sam's… so why has Dean been void of all emotion? Sam was practically waiting for the other shoe to drop—waiting for his brother to _snap_.

It irked Sam to no end that Dean spent the majority of his time under the hood of his beloved Chevy Impala. It was completely destroyed in the crash, but somehow, Dean was slowly, but surely building his baby back up. Every day, Sam would go out there with an opened bottle of beer and try and get his brother to open up—talk about what happened with the demon and with dad. But no. Dean would either give short, quipped responses, indicating that he did not want to discuss the topic or he would ignore Sam completely. So Sam decided that he would go back and find something that Dean would think is _worth_ his attention. And that happened to be hacking into their father's voicemail. It wasn't much—some woman named Ellen—leaving a vague message about helping him out with their demon issue. The voicemail was dated four months ago. Which of course, brought up questions among the brothers as to why their father would have a four month old message saved on his cell phone.

This Ellen lady was their only shot at getting some answers.

And going to the roadhouse got them much more than just answers.

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**Edited 10/26/15**


	2. Let's Skip the Introductions (Edited)

**Disclaimer: refer to the prologue.**

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**Riley Carter Harvelle**

**Chapter One: Let's Skip the Introductions, Shall We?**

...

Sam had managed to trace the message back to some bar in Nebraska. Luckily, Dean had reluctantly agreed to taking a ride over to the place and see if they can get some answers out of Ellen about their father. But of course, the entire car ride was filled with Dean's grumbling about driving a "soccer mom van." The old, beat up van had been Bobby's only working vehicle back at the salvage yard and since the Impala was totaled at the moment, the van was their only ride. Sam stared out the passenger side window and watched the scenery swish right passed him. He felt the slight breeze hit his face; closing his eyes and letting out a sigh, Sam leaned his head back on the headrest and stared at the road in front of him. There was so much tension between the brothers. There were so many questions that could not be answered. There was a crazy-ass demon on the loose destroying peoples' lives and causing chaos. There was just so _much_ crap that needed to be dealt with and neither Winchester knew where to begin. It was like they were in quicksand and they just kept sinking deeper and deeper.

The sun was directly above them when Sam and Dean drove up to the saloon. From the outside, the place looked empty, abandoned. Sam could tell the place was old and kind of broken. He glanced around the area and other than this bar—there was nothing but dirt road for miles. It made Sam slightly suspicious as to why a saloon would be built around here in the first place. The two brothers slowly approached the battered wooden door that looked like it could be cracked in half with one kick. Dean stole a glance at his brother before wrapping a fist and pounding on the door. They stared at the door for a couple of beats and the only answer they received was silence. Sam could tell that Dean was quickly loosing his patience, he let out an annoyed huff and knocked on the wooden door a bit harder than the first time. "Hello?" Dean called out. "Anybody here?" he said loudly, in hopes to get the attention of someone that may be inside. But like the first time, no one had answered. Dean looked at his brother expectantly, his brows raised and he made a hand motion as he said, "Hey, you got the, uh…"

Sam already knew what his brother was going to ask for. "Of course." He quickly pulled out his lock-pick kit from his jacket pocket and knelt down to the doorknob and began to work on cracking the lock. It didn't take long for Sam to swing the front door open. After all, he did have many years of practice when it came to lock-picking. Sam sent a quick look to his brother before they both stepped inside the bar. It was a hell of a lot nicer inside than it was outside. Sam and Dean both paused to take in their surroundings. To Sam's right was the bar counter, there were a few arcade machines in the dusty corners of the place, a juke box, and a bunch of small tables for the customers. About fifteen feet away from them was a pool table. It wasn't unusual to see a pool table at a bar, it was pool tables like those where Sam and Dean make most of their money. But unlike most pool tables, this one had a passed-out, drunken man lying across it. The brothers took several cautious steps towards the table with furrowed brows. The room was silent except for a fly that was buzzing in the thick air and the sound of a lightbulb that just blew out, and the gentle snoring that escaped the drunk pool table guy's lips.

Dean raised a brow at the man, finally catching a better look now that he's only standing barely a few feet away from the pool table. Sam looked at his brother once more before trying to attempt to wake up this guy in front of them. "Hey buddy? he called out, but the man was obviously deep in a drunken slumber that he didn't even stir. Sam let out a sigh and turned to face Dean, "I'm guessing that isn't Ellen."

Dean could only shrug his shoulders. "Yeah."

Sam knew that Dean definitely didn't want to be here and from the looks of it, they weren't going to get the answers they've been looking for anytime soon if they stuck around this place. He walked away from the pool table and towards what he could assume was the back room. It had the same wooden-paneled floors as the bar, but the walls were painted an off-white. There was an average-sized television to Sam's left and there was an old, beat-up blue couch that was pressed up against the opposite wall and a window right above it. The sun rays peeked through the glass, making the room seem brighter. There was a wooden coffee table with a few books and pictures lying around. One photo in particular caught Sam's eye. There were four people, two boys and two girls. Sam thought that the girls must have been related because they looked so much alike, both sharing blonde hair and brown eyes. The one on the left seemed to have a slimmer face and her smile was more relaxed than the other girl's. The girl on the right had higher cheekbones and her eyes sparkled as she grinned in the photo. There was a younger guy with an arm wrapped lazily around her shoulder, making a silly face, his cobalt blue eyes wide and his tongue hanging out like some punk-rocker guy. Sam recognized the other guy as the drunk that was passed-out on the pool table in the front room. He was smirking slightly with a beer in his hand, glancing at the dark-haired boy who was successfully photobombing the photo.

The younger Winchester was so distracted that he didn't even hear someone walk inside the room until he heard a gun cock from behind him. Sam dropped the photograph instantly and raised his hands above his head. "Whoa—"

"Shut up. Who the hell are you and how many of ya are there?"

Sam swallowed heavily. "Look—it's just me and my brother. We don't want any trouble—" He immediately shut up when he felt the gun nudge is back and the armed woman growled for him to move. Sam nodded his head and took a slow, cautious steps back into the front room where his brother and one of the girls from the photograph were standing. And that girl looked _pissed_. She decked Dean in the face just moments before and the older Winchester brother was holding his nose calling out for Sam to help. "Sorry, Dean," he said tightly. "I'm a little tied up," he nodded his head behind him, indicating the woman who had him at gunpoint.

"Sam? Dean?" the woman behind him questioned, her voice no longer sounding threatening. "_Winchester_?"

"Yeah," both of the brothers replied, nodding their heads.

"Son of a bitch," the woman muttered before dropping her weapon to her side. They watched the younger girl lower her weapon too as she sent the other woman a questioning look. "Mom? You know these guys?"

She nodded her head and a smile began to form on her face as she took in both of the boys' faces. "Yeah," she said lightly. "I think these are John Winchester's boys." She had an amused smile on her face as she introduced both her and her daughter. "Hey—I'm Ellen. This is my daughter Jo."

Dean looked at Jo cautiously when she greeted him with a "hey" and a slight nod. "You're not gonna hit me again, are you?" he questioned, half joking, half serious. He glanced in Ellen's direction and saw her filling a small towel with ice before handing it to him. He took it appreciatively. "Thanks." He glanced at his brother before facing the two woman in front of them. "You called our dad. Said you could help. Help with _what_?" Dean asked rather gruffly, making Sam roll his eyes.

Ellen didn't seem too bothered by Dean's abrupt attitude thankfully, she just sent him a smile and furrowed her brows slightly. "Well the demon, of course! I heard he was closing in on it."

Dean looked taken aback by that statement. Sam would be lying if he said he wasn't surprised that Ellen had information about the yellow-eyed demon. "What?" Dean questioned harshly. "Was there an article in the _Demon Hunters Quarterly_ that I missed? I mean who—who are _you_?" he asked angrily. "How do you _know_ all this?"

Ellen seemed like she had enough with Dean Winchester's attitude and she bit right back with her own harsh response. "Hey! I just run a saloon. But hunters have been known to pass through now and again. Including your dad a long time ago." She paused as she stared at Sam and Dean's rather confused expressions. "John was like family once."

"Oh yeah?" Dean snorted. "How come he never mentioned you before?"

She blinked back, slightly surprised. "You'd have to ask him that."

"So why exactly do we need _your_ help?"

Sam was two seconds away from slapping his brother in the back of the head. What the hell is up with the attitude? And Ellen completely agreed with him. Apparently, whatever little patience she had left, had gone out the window. "Hey, don't do me any favors. Look—if you don't want my help, fine. Don't let the door smack your ass on the way out. But John wouldn't have sent you if—" she stopped abruptly and her eyes grew wide in realization. She glanced back and forth between the brothers and her expression grew grim. "He didn't send you."

Both of the Winchesters wouldn't meet Ellen's eyes. Hell, they could barely glance at each other without looking away when the topic of their father was brought up. Well, Sam wanted to talk about what happened at the hospital with Dean, but his brother wasn't having any of it.

"He's all right? Isn't he?" Ellen asked hesitantly.

Sam was the one to answer Ellen, his voice extremely quiet as he spoke. "No. No, he isn't. It was the demon, we think. It, um—it just got him before he got it, I guess."

"I'm so sorry," Ellen said, voice full of sympathy.

"It's okay," Dean replied, still sounding gruff. "We're all right."

Ellen raised her brows in disbelief. "Really?" she asked, obviously not convinced. "I know how close you and your dad were—"

"Really, lady. I'm fine."

Sam clenched his jaw in annoyance and turned to Ellen and spoke up quickly before this situation got out of hand. "So look—if you can help, we could use all the help we can get." he said calmly and pleadingly.

Both of the Winchesters watched Ellen blow out a sigh before a small smirk worked its way on her face. "Well, _we_ can't," she said, indicating to her and Jo. "But Ash will."

"Who's Ash?" Sam asked with furrowed brows.

"_Ash_!" Ellen screeched, causing both Sam and Dean to jump, slightly surprised. Sam turned towards the pool table and noticed the drunken man who was still asleep moments ago, had been startled awake—his pale blue eyes wide as he gawked at them in a daze. "What? It closin' time?"

Mouth agape, Sam stared at Ash incredulously. _This_ guy was going to answer the millions of questions they had about the demon? The drunk pool table guy? He glanced at Ellen, his own green orbs wide. "_That's_ Ash?"

Jo leaned on the counter, the same lazy smirk she wore in the photograph gracing her lips. She nodded her head, amused. "Mhm, He's a _genius_."

Sam didn't have time to reply or even think of a reply. Because whatever words he was about to retort back were lost in his mind when the front door swung open and revealed the other blonde girl from the photo. The one with the infectious smile. Sam noticed right away that she was extremely short and petite. He watched her connect eyes with Jo and her smile grew even wider. The duffle bag that hung carelessly on her left shoulder was tossed onto one of the tables and she threw her hands up in the air. "Joanna Beth! Momma is home!" she hollered with a poorly-done artificial British accent. Jo immediately started to crackup and laugh slightly at the girl. Sam watched Ellen roll her eyes, a small smile gracing her lips as she eyed the girl at the door. Ash took a few steps forward, a smirk playing at his lips, obviously happy to see the girl. Sam glanced at Dean, who was seated next to him at the bar, his brows furrowed deeply and his mouth slightly agape as he stared at the scene in front of him incredulously.

"Riley!" Jo squealed out. "You're back!" She ran towards the girl and attacked her in a hug, nearly causing the both of them to fall on their asses. "I missed you, girl."

Riley laughed and nodded her head in agreement. "Me too, Jo. Me too."

"How was your trip to the UK, Riles?" Ash spoke up from his spot, he didn't stray too far away from the pool table and he leaned up against it.

The blonde grinned. "Oh! Absolutely amazing! Grub was good and the scenery was just _darling_!" Riley continued on using her horrible British accent. "Flogging those pendants overseas is definitely quite the experience! The Brits are very generous when it comes to pay—" she was abruptly cut off by Ellen's stern voice snapping, "Riley." The older woman gave her a look as if telling her to 'cut it out.'

Riley smiled sheepishly. "Sorry, Aunt Ellen," she spoke in her normal, American accent. Riley then seemed to realize that there were other people in the saloon other than the usual suspects and her cheeks flushed ever-so-slightly. Her brows rose slightly as she glanced curiously at Sam and Dean who had been watching the entire scene from their seats at the bar. The both of them wearing two completely different expressions on their faces. "Oh, hi!" she said, her lips turning upward and sending them a small wave.

Sam could see right away that she was a bubbly, happy person. It was cute and entertaining. He found himself smiling slightly at the girl and realized that this might have been the first time he's even cracked a smile since his father died. The smile on his lips faltered slightly at the thought. He glanced at Dean and noticed a strange, perturbed expression that crossed Dean's features as he stared at Riley.

Ellen motioned to the boys with her hand. "Riley, this is Sam and Dean. John Winchester's boys," she introduced. Ellen then waved a hand in Riley's direction. "That's my niece Riley."

She smiled as she took a couple of steps closer to the boys and raised up her hand to shake Dean's. "Pleasure to meet you both." Sam watched Dean slowly take her hand and shake it before letting go. She then turned to the younger Winchester and held out her hand. Sam took it quickly and shook it, noticing how small and gentle her hand was.

They let go and Riley smiled up at him. He was going to say something but Riley's eyes suddenly lit up as if she had just remembered something. "Oh—Ash!" she called out before turning to her duffle bag that was resting on the table. She quickly unzipped it and rummaged through her belongings before pulling out a silver chain with a skull charm dangling from it. "Picked this up for you. Made of silver too."

Sam watched Riley place it in the palm of Ash's hand. Ash stared at the piece of jewelry in awe before looking down at the petite blonde. "Riley—you are one awesome, young lady," he said grinning. He got down on a knee. "Marry me, woman?"

Riley snorted and shook her head before playfully shoving his shoulder, causing him to fall on his ass. Ash let out a grunt and shook his head playfully. "Can't say I didn't try," he muttered, the smirk never leaving his face.

It wasn't long until Dean slammed their father's brown file folder that was overflown with all sorts of different papers on the bar counter in front of Ash and Sam. Riley and Jo leaned across from the other side of the bar, looking at the folder with curious eyes. Sam watched as Ellen smacked Riley with an old, worn apron and told Jo to pour a couple of glasses of water for the boys.

Sam noticed his brother's rather annoyed expression and felt himself sigh in defeat when he heard Dean's doubtful voice. "You've gotta be kidding me," the elder Winchester muttered with the shake of his head. "This guy's not genius. He's a Lynyrd Skynyrd roadie!"

Sam pursed his lips together and cautiously glanced at the others. He watched as Riley let out a small snort only to be cut off by Jo bumping her hip with her own. Riley had just shrugged it off and leaned casually against the bar, watching him, Dean, and Ash, eyes full of curiosity. Jo had simply rolled her eyes but followed her cousin's lead, taking position next to Riley. Ellen was holding a rag in her hands, drying one of the freshly washed glasses from the sink, her eyebrows raised as she eyed them, her light brown orbs sparkling with her own curiosity. Sam saw a full on grin appear on Ash's face as he looked at Dean. "I like you," Ash responded, admiration in his voice.

Dean, not exactly sure how he should respond, muttered out a quiet "thanks" and stared at the man with a mullet with a slightly weirded out expression. Jo noticed that his brother was doubting Ash's ability and Sam would be lying if he said he had complete faith in the guy, but, come on. This guy? Really? The dude was passed-out drunk on the pool table not even twenty minutes ago. How the hell was he going to figure out how to track the demon? "Just give him a chance," Jo said, staring at Dean.

Dean sighed and adjusted his position at the bar, making himself comfortable on the stool he was sitting on. "All right. This stuff's about a year's worth of our dad's work. So, uh, let's see what you make of it," Dean said. He eyed Ash wearily as he plopped down next to him and opened up the folder that held all of John Winchester's valuable information on the yellow-eyed demon. Ash practically analyzed every letter of every piece of paper that was stuffed inside the folder. They watched him shake his head in what could be described as clear shock, seriously unconvinced of what he was looking at. Ash looked up at Dean. "Come on, this crap ain't real," he said flatly. "There ain't nobody that can track a demon like this."

"Our dad could," Sam replied softly, defending his father.

Ash's eyes glanced up at both Sam and Dean, his brows furrowed deeply before he turned back to the papers that were scattered all over the bar. "There are non-parametrics, statistical overviews, prospects and correlations," Ash listed the various documents that had been stored inside the file. "I mean… _damn_! They're signs. Omens. Uh, if you can track 'em, you can track this demon. You know, like crop failures, electrical storms…" he trailed off in thought. Ash looked up at the two brothers with wide curious eyes. "You ever been struck by lightening? It ain't fun."

Riley snorted once again and shook her head, a smirk playing on her lips as she stared at Ash. The man with a mullet turned his head to face Riley, matching her smirk with his own. Sam huffed out an annoyed breath, feeling his own patience wearing thin. "Can you track it or not?"

Ash nodded his head. "Yeah, with this—I think so," he replied. "But it's gonna take time. Uh, give me…" he trailed off, his eyes raising to the ceiling as he calculated whatever the hell he was doing in his head. "Fifty-one hours." Ash glanced at Riley and smirked at the girl who was now wiping down the bar with the rag Ellen had just tossed her way. "Maybe fifty-two," Ash muttered, not taking his eyes off the younger Harvelle. "Riley, you free?"

She gave Ash what Sam determined to be a seductive smile as she leaned in towards him, her lips merely inches away from Ash's. It happened incredibly fast that if you had blinked, you would have missed it. Riley had swiped the rag that she was previously using to clean down the counter and smacked Ash across the face with it. "No," she deadpanned, causing a few chuckles to escape from the others. Everyone but Ash, of course.

Defeated, Ash had pushed himself off the barstool, grabbing the file folder and the rest of its contents and began to walk towards the back hallway that led towards his room. Dean smirked slightly and tilted his head to the side as he called out Ash's name. When Ash turned around with a raised brow near the hall Dean said, "I, uh—I dig the hair cut."

Riley let out a frustrated groan and muttered something under her breath, too quiet for everyone but Jo to hear. Jo sniggered and shook her head in amusement at whatever it was Riley had said. Sam turned his attention back to Ash, who had a shit-eating grin plastered on his face. He watched as Ash ran his hand through his long locks. "All business up front. Party in the back."

The youngest Harvelle merely rolled her eyes and shook her head. "Dear god," she muttered, only it was loud enough for everyone else to hear. Sam shot a quick smile at her which she gladly returned before going back to work at the bar. Jo had been eying Riley, giving her a strange look that Sam couldn't quite understand. As if Riley felt Jo's longing gaze, she glanced up, her eyes meeting her cousin's. Riley raised a single arched brow in question, causing Jo's stare to intensify. Riley let out a small laugh, rolling her eyes once more before watching Jo attempt to flirt with Dean. It apparently worked, considering the elder Winchester was now following her to one of the tables on the other side of the bar like some kind of lost puppy.

Still seated at the bar, Sam watched as Ellen grabbed a file folder that was leaning next to what looked like a police scanner. She slapped the file on top of the counter, the loud smack causing Sam to jerk in surprise. Riley looked between the folder and her aunt, curiosity written in those deep brown orbs. "What's this?" she asked, her brows raised as she went to pick up the file.

"Luke got word of it. Called me and let me know about it. Thought I could give it to one of our huntin' buddies to go take a look at what's been going on. Go ahead, take a look and see what you think."

Riley hummed in reply as her elbows leaned on the counter top, her eyes carefully reading over the file. Sam quickly grew curious and pushed himself closer to her and angled his head oddly to try and read what was on the file. "What is that?"

"Possible case," Riley replied with a shrug. Sam watched her brows furrow deeply as she suddenly stopped reading. "Huh, weird," she commented as she read over the newspaper clipping that was attached the front of the file. Sam squinted his eyes, trying to read the bright red bold letters that was written in marker:

COUPLE MURDERED

CHILD LEFT ALIVE

MEDFORD, WISCONSIN

Riley noticed the interest in Sam's eyes as he tried to read what was on the file upside-down. She quickly turned the file around so it was properly facing him. "Check this out," she said, her index finger pointing to one of the articles in particular. His brows furrowed deeply, similar to Riley, as he read through the file. "Yeah," he sighed. "This is definitely our kind of thing," he said, his eyes never leaving the papers he held in his hands.

Riley pursed her lips to the side in thought. She shrugged awkwardly and cleared her throat, a poor attempt to get his attention away from the file. "Well, uh—do you and your brother wanna take it?"

"Really?" Sam asked, his eyes growing wide in surprise.

She gave him that infectious smile. "The case is yours, Sam."

* * *

The roadhouse was fairly quiet during the day, getting real busy when the sun set and the moon was high. The bar would be ransacked with hunters; telling tell their stories of previous cases they worked on, trading information, or just to drink their problems away—which was the main reason, quite honestly. Riley blew out a sigh and closed her eyes, her elbows resting on the bar counter. The only sounds that could be heard in the main room was the small buzz from the small refrigerator and the flickering of one of the light bulbs that hung low from the ceiling. Riley glanced back down to what she had been previously reading in her father's journal. Looking through the old leather bound book that was barely being held by the seams gave much comfort to the young Harvelle. She missed her father greatly and she could definitely sympathize what the Winchesters were going through.

Ash had locked himself away in his bedroom. A few hours ago she heard a power drill go off in his room and shortly after she heard Ash's voice cursing loudly. She had scrunched up her face and shook her head. Riley learned a few years back to never question Ash and his technological abilities. The dude was a genius, plain and simple. He knew his shit, which was a major plus for the Winchesters. But one would never give the man with a mullet a second glance, nor would they ever expect him to actually be a genius. But you know what they say: never judge a book by its cover.

Ellen and Jo had left Riley to run the saloon while they went on a supply run. Riley had offered to go when she noticed Jo was practically dragging her feet out the door. Jo was ready to agree, but Ellen sent her daughter a look and told her niece to stay put since she did after all, just fly back all the way from England. A big part of Riley was relieved that she was able to stay back at the roadhouse and have some time to herself. She missed her home dearly—don't get her wrong, she enjoyed her time in the UK, mostly—but she was ecstatic to be back in the states. Riley had gone over to England and stayed a little over two months for her hunting day-trading job that she had taken over once her father died a few years before. It was a good business and it helped save the lives of hunters and civilians.

Riley felt a small smile tug on her lips when she saw a small photograph that was taped on one of the pages in her father's journal. She must have been no older than five or six, she was sitting on the hood of her father's truck with him positioned right next to her. He held the camera at a high angle when he had taken the shot. His eyes were not looking at the camera but in the direction of his daughter, who was staring directly into the lens with wide, excited eyes and wearing a large smile, Riley's two front teeth absent. She remembered this day as if it happened yesterday.

The roadhouse landline abruptly rang, causing Riley to jump in surprise. She stretched her arm out to reach for the phone, letting out a pathetic whine when her fingers barely grasped it. Wrapping the phone around her fingers, Riley pressed it against her ear. "Roadhouse. This is Riley," she spoke, almost robotically.

_"Riley? Hi, it's Sam,"_ the younger Winchester greeted.

Riley straightened her back slightly, a smirk playing on her lips when she recognized

Sam's voice. "Oh, hey, Sam. How's the case going for ya?"

Sam let out a dry laugh. _"Ah__—well, you know. It's hard to hunt a monster you don't know how to kill,"_ he said cynically. _"That's what I'm actually call you about."_

Riley's smirk turned into a full on grin. "What'cha got so far?"

Sam had then went on to explain the entire investigation to Riley—what they discovered, possible suspects, and especially the encounter the Winchesters had with the creature. Whatever it was apparently needed to be invited inside places, it liked to eat people, and oh—let us not forget that it also turns _invisible_. Riley felt herself furrow her brows as she listened to Sam continue on and give more details and specifications of the case that were not included in the file. Something sounded strangely familiar about the creature Sam and Dean were hunting, almost as if she had just _read_ it somewhere. Riley smirked when she glanced down to her father's journal. "Give me a sec," she muttered on the phone to Sam as she flipped through the pages of the leather journal, looking for one page in particular.

_December 18th, 1999._

_It's a week before Christmas and I'm still here with Urv trying to kill whatever monster it was this time. I swore to myself that after this case I'd be done. I would go home to my girl who is waiting over by Ellen's for me to get back. I promised her I'd be home for Christmas this year and I intended to keep that promise to her. I felt like she was growing more and more every time I lay my eyes on her. Thirteen years. Thirteen years since Carter died. It was so hard trying to explain to your daughter what happened to mommy and what hides in the dark. It kills me when I look at her. I see Carter in her everyday. I hope she'd be proud of the young woman Riley's become. I know I am._

_Urv and I have been researching in the library for what seemed to be hours upon hours. Something was eating people. Wasn't a werewolf; heart was still intact. Not a vampire getting sloppy; blood was there...well some of it._

_Rakshasa. That's what we were hunting. Disgusting things that they are. Rakshasas are creatures from Hindu mythology and are very nasty. They eat human flesh, sleep on a bed of dead insects and are great at shapeshifting. A rakshasa cannot enter a house without first being invited. They can easily become invisible, obtain super strength, and super senses. These guys can only be killed by anything that's made of brass._

_This ought to be fun._

"Rakshasa," Riley stated proudly.

Sam was silent for a long moment before hesitantly speaking up,_ "...__Bless you?"_

Riley let out a loud snort. "No. Rakshasa," she corrected. "It come from Hindu mythology according to my dad's journal. He hunted one back in the day. Says the same stuff you just told me—eating human flesh, being invited into a home…" She paused and stared at the page in mild disgust at the next few sentences. "Ugh," she groaned out. "Well, one way to tell who it is—it says here that the rakshasa, uh, sleeps on a bed of dead bugs."

"_Ew,_" Sam said, sounding quite perturbed himself. _"All right, so how do we kill it?"_

Riley continued to read over her father's words, finding the rakshasa's weakness. "Find something brass and stab it—shoot it. I don't really think it matters, just as long as it's brass."

Riley heard Sam sigh over the phone. A few moments ticked by in awkward silence before Sam spoke up. _"Okay. Thanks again, Riley."_

"Good luck," Riley said sincerely. "Call if you need anything." With that being said, Riley reached over and placed the phone back on the hook and blow out a sigh as she sat back in her seat. She looked back down at the journal with a sad smile gracing her lips. Even with her dad being gone for the last four and a half years, he still never let her down.

* * *

It didn't take much longer, after getting the right information from Riley, to gank the son of a bitch rakshasa. It took both Sam and Dean by surprise when they discovered that the creature was not Cooper, but the seemingly harmless blind guy that was riling up Dean when they had first arrived to the carnival. The two brothers had managed to get the monster inside the funhouse where there was an organ—made of brass—one of the pipes being the weapon Sam and Dean planned to used in order to kill the rakshasa. After a wild goose chase, Dean managed to stake the living crap out of it with the brass piping. That funhouse was just _full_ of excitement when the Winchesters stepped in.

They quickly headed back to the roadhouse, after hot-wiring a random car since they had ditched Bobby's 'soccer mom' van, fearing that the police would be able to track them if they had kept it. It wouldn't be surprising considering they had broke into that family's home to save that little girl's parents from becoming the rakshasa's next meal. Of course, the parents didn't know that and only saw two creepy dudes holding their six year old daughter. Yeah, that is the typical Winchester luck. Sam was hoping that they would walk inside the roadhouse to hear good news that Ash was successful in tracking down the yellow-eyed demon, that way he and his brother can set forth and go get revenge on the son of a bitch. It was long passed fifty-one hours, which had been Ash's deadline he created for himself.

Both brothers were seated at the bar while Ellen had placed two fresh beers in front of them. "You boys did a hell of a job. Your dad would be proud," Ellen congratulated them, wearing a proud smile of her own.

Sam forced a smile and nodded his head. "Thanks." He then noticed the small, petite blonde stroll out of the back hallway where Ash had disappeared to the last time Sam saw him. The same duffle bag from earlier was now hanging from her right shoulder. She tossed it on the table and looked at Ellen, a small smile etched on her face. "All right, I am set, Aunt Ellen," she said, her chocolate brown eyes sparkling with excitement and hungry for adventure.

Ellen simply smirked and raised a single brow at her niece. "Ash found you another case?"

Riley grinned and nodded her head eagerly. "Yeah, I called Jackson. He's already in Minnesota. Sounds like a wendigo," she said with a grin. "Is it weird to say I missed hunting American monsters?" she asked, chuckling to herself. "The ones back in England were just…" she paused, trying to think of the proper word. "_Strange._"

Jo, who was standing behind the bar snorted loudly, causing all eyes to focus on her. She shook her head in amusement as she stared at her cousin. "_You're _strange, Riley." Sam could see that there was a tinge of sadness hidden beneath Jo's eyes as she watched her cousin. Sam frowned slightly at the scene in front of him. His attention was pulled away from Jo when he noticed Riley shrug her shoulder and shoot a smile towards Ellen, who merely rolled her eyes and threw an old bar rag in her direction. "Give me a hand before you head out, would ya?"

Riley was quick to catch the rag, she gave her aunt a simple nod before her eyes caught attention of her cousin, who happened to be casting Sam a similar look she had given Riley the last time he was here. Sam felt himself shrink back slightly as Jo's glare hardened. He glanced at his brother who was sipping on his beer and glancing at Jo. Sam then immediately got the idea. "Oh, yeah! Um, I've gotta—uh, I gotta go. Over there. Right now," he said awkwardly, trying not to fumble his words. He saw Dean send him a smirk as he pushed himself off the barstool and take his beer towards one of the empty tables. It just so happened to be the same table Riley was currently wiping down. He saw the blonde was barely holding back her laughter as he took a seat at the small square table. She had tossed her duffle onto the floor and ran the rag across the small wooden table. "Smooth," she whispered to Sam, a large grin on her face.

Sam couldn't even hold back his own smile and he let out a small chuckle. Clearing his throat awkwardly, he glanced away from the beer in his hands and set his eyes on Riley. "So, you're an international hunter?" he asked curiously. He and his brother were just discovering how many hunters there actually are. Before coming to the roadhouse, Sam and Dean were convinced that only a few knew about the supernatural world, but apparently they were wrong. Their father keeping the both of them in the dark of how world-wide the hunting business really was.

Riley turned to the left in order to face Sam. She pressed her back against the side of the table and kept her eyes on Sam as she spoke. Giving a small shrug of her shoulders, she said, "Well, I hunt time to time. When I'm not hunting I deal with my dad's business."

Sam felt his brows raised inexplicably. "Oh, you and your dad work together?"

Riley's smile no longer looked happy or filled with excitement as it previously had. Her brown eyes stared down to his green ones, full of grief and maybe regret. "He, uh—he passed away a few years back on a hunt." The sad smile was slowly leaving her face and her expression turned grim. Even though her eyes were boring into his own, Sam couldn't help but feel that she was staring into a memory rather than him, if that makes any sense. "Uh, well—something happened when Jo and I were kids and I think it was an eye opener for him, you know?" she said, her brows furrowing slightly in thought. "He actually quit hunting so he could be there to see his only daughter grow up…" Riley trailed off, her eyes no longer looking at Sam but straight ahead at one of the dusty windows. "But you know how the supernatural world is, once you're in—"

"You're never truly out," Sam said, finishing Riley's sentence in a mere whisper. Sam would be lying if he said he disagreed with that statement. It was absolutely true in all of its entirety. There was no escaping this life, no matter how hard you try. And when you just think you crossed that finish line to freedom of this dreadful world, it's like fate fooled you, pulling that red ribbon that marks the finish line away and strangling you with it. And it seemed as though trying to escape the life full of death and pain only ended with more death and pain.

"Yeah," Riley agreed quietly. It was silent between the two before Riley spoke up. "He had his own little business to help out hunters and whatnot. Finding exorcisms, spells, weapons, trinkets, charms, warding symbols—basically anything a hunter could use to help them survive while living this _charming_ lifestyle," she said in distaste. "So he would travel to a lot of different places and supplied hunters with what they needed. He never left the US though." A small smile appeared on her face. "_That_ happened to be one of my brilliant ideas." As quickly as the smile came, it disappeared. Letting out a long sigh, her eyes met Sam's once more. "After he was gone… there were too many people who relied on him, so I picked up where he left off."

Riley's last words echoed through Sam's mind. He remembered Dean saying the same exact thing to him when their father had first disappeared. The two of them sat in silence for a few moments before Sam looked up at her, his eyes glistening with understanding.

"I'm sorry," he said, voice full of sincerity.

Riley flashed him the tiniest of smiles. "I'm sorry for what happened to your dad, Sam." She inhaled a deep breath before continuing. "It's not easy, I know. But, if anyone could help you find that demon, it would be Ash." Riley had spoke with such confidence when it came to Ash and Sam knew she truly believed her words. He just hoped he and Dean were right to put their faith into the guy.

Sam nodded his head appreciatively. "Thank you." He watched her nod her head slightly, a smile still on her face as she pushed herself off the table and headed towards another to wipe down like Ellen had told her to. Just as Sam got out of his seat, Ash's familiar mullet came into his vision, his hands holding a large laptop with many different wires and cables wrapped around it and connected to various places on the device. Under his arm was the folder that held all of John Winchester's information on the demon. Ash's grey-blue eyes peered at the brothers impatiently. "Where you guys been? Been waitin' for ya."

Sam gave Ash a funny look. "We were working a job, Ash," he said as if the man with a mullet should have already knew this information. "Clowns?"

"_Clowns_?" Ash asked incredulously, his face scrunching up in disgust. "What the fu—"

Before he could start spewing vulgar and profane words, Dean had cut him off. "You got something for us, Ash?"

Ash had placed the laptop down on the freshly cleaned table—thank you, Riley—in front of Sam and Dean to view. Sam was able to get a better look at the computer and his eyes observed every inch of the device. It looked as if Ash had built the thing from scratch. It had many different buttons and wires that would not normally be seen on a regular laptop. Especially all of the exposed wires. Sam was sure that was some sort of danger hazard.

"Did you find the demon?" Sam questioned, looking up at Ash.

He shook his head. "It's nowhere around. At least, nowhere I can find. But if this fugly bastard raises his head, I'll know. I mean, I'm on it like divine on dog dookie."

Sam felt his brows furrow at that. "What do you mean?"

"I mean, _any_ of those signs or omens appear—_anywhere_ in the world—my rig'll off. Like a fire alarm."

From beside him, Dean tilted his head in faint curiosity as he observed the laptop. He stretched his hand out, as if he were going to touch it. "Do you mind—" once Dean caught Ash's glare, he immediately dropped his hand away from the device. "Yeah," he muttered under his breath.

Sam still couldn't grasp that Ash was able to do all of this. His eyes narrowed at the computer, his brows furrowing incredibly deep as he thought Ash's words over. It turned out that Riley had been in fact right when she said they could trust Ash to be their shot at tracking down the demon.

"Hey—what's up, man?" Ash asked Sam, clearly noticing the constipated look on the younger Winchester's face.

Sam looked up from the computer and stared at Ash, almost like he was in awe. "Ash—where did you learn how to do all this? he asked, sounding absolutely baffled that someone like Ash had been able to piece all of this together, and to make and run a program that would actually track their demon. Sam didn't even know that this stuff was even possible, if he were honest.

"M.I.T.—before I got bounced for… _fighting_."

"M.I.T.?" Sam repeated, unsure if he heard right.

Ash simply shrugged. "It's a school in Boston."

"Okay," Dean said, sounding a bit overwhelmed himself. He looked straight at Ash. "You give us a call as soon as you know something."

Ash smirked at the elder Winchester. "Si, si, compadre!"

Taking a final swig of his beer, Dean set it on the table for it only to be taken by Ash to finish as he typed away on his newly made laptop. Sam and Dean glanced at each other before they got out of their seats and headed towards the door. They stopped in their tracks and spun around to face Ellen, who had spoken up. "Hey, listen—if you boys need a place to stay, I've got a couple beds out back," she said, indicating a thumb back toward the narrow hallway.

Dean nodded his head in appreciation but declined her offer. "Thanks, but no. There's something I gotta finish."

Sam watched as she nodded her head in understanding. She sent both boys a smile. "Okay."

The two brothers headed out the front door and walked outside, taking in the warm air. They made their way towards the same car Dean had hot-wired earlier so they could drive back over to Bobby's where Dean could finish working on his beloved impala and Sam could… well, honestly Sam wasn't quite sure as to what he would do when he gets back to the salvage yard. His mind was swarmed with so many ongoing thoughts. The death of his father, trying to track this demon who destroyed his entire family, and also what Dean said to him earlier when they were working on the case.

His eyes caught sight of Riley, who was tossing her duffle bag into a sleek black truck while she spoke on her cellphone. "All right, Jackson. I'm heading out now—_No_! Do _not_ go into the woods without me, understand?" she warned the person—Jackson—gruffly. She let out a snort and shook her head at whatever Jackson must of said. "Yeah, yeah. Whatever you say, macho-man." She paused, raising her brows slightly before nodding her head, even though Jackson obviously couldn't see it. "Mhm—yeah, okay. Go talk to them. I'll be there soon. Yep. Bye." She then flipped her phone shut and shook her head. Riley blew out a sigh as she shoved her phone into her back pocket and opened the driver's side door. "Idiot," she muttered under her breath. She suddenly glanced up, realizing that the Winchesters had been watching her.

Dean raised a hand in the air. "See you later, Riley!"

Riley smirked and raised her own hand towards her head in a salute. "See you around, boys! Drive safe!" With that being said, she hopped inside the truck and drove off, leaving a small smoke of dust from the ground in her wake. Dean raised a brow at the exit and glanced towards Sam. "She's an interesting one."

Sam could only nod his head as he watched the black truck disappear into the horizon. "Definitely."


	3. Keeping Up With the Harvelles

**A/N:** _Holy crap! I had no idea that this story would get so much love! I want to thank all of those who followed, favorited, and reviewed this story! It honestly makes my day when I read one of your lovely reviews! So keep those coming! Lol! So obviously, I am going to continue this story, hence the second chapter being posted! This chapter will introduce another OC, he was briefly mentioned in the first chapter and I guarantee that you will love him! He is a lot of fun to write and you'll see why this chapter! His character is portrayed by the actor Thomas Dekker. If you want more info about him or any of my OC characters, check out my profile for a full description! This will follow the season two story line with my own additional twists! ;) This chapter includes scenes from the episodes Bloodlust and Simon Said. Enjoy and don't forget to drop a review on your way out! Thank you!_

* * *

_**Chapter Two:**_ **Keeping Up With the Harvelles**

"No!" Riley screeched. Skidding her boots on the dirt of the Minnesota woods. "Jackson! Get your stupid ass over here!" She yelled out to her hunting partner.

Jackson was definitely an interesting person to hunt with. Similar to Riley, he had also grown up in the life and he and his father were regular customers in Riley's business, which was previously run by her father. Jackson's father had called up Brian years ago, asking for a certain charm to ward themselves from demon possession and that's how Riley and Jacks met.

Jackson was breathing hard, clearly out of breath from running around the woods for the past three and a half hours. Riley looked at him with her brows furrowed, "where's your flare gun?" She asked, dreading to know the answer.

"I dropped it."

Riley's face fell flat, she took in a deep breath and try not to lose her patience, "what do you mean 'you dropped it'?" She asked slowly. "You just had it!"

"Yeah, but I shot at the wendigo," Jackson replied seriously.

Riley raised a brow and made a face, "really?" She questioned, doubtfully.

He nodded his head, "yeah."

"Is it dead?" Riley asked him.

"Yup."

Just then, loud screeching sound and growls were heard through the trees. Riley stared at Jackson, who had a sheepish look on his face.

"Maybe it had a brother," Jackson offered with a shrug of his shoulders and a hesitant smile.

"No."

The wendigo came rushing out at the two hunters and Riley aimed up her flare gun and shot, successfully hitting her target. The monster quickly burst into flames and screamed as it died.

Riley turned back to Jackson, "now it's dead."

"Yeah, well, if anyone asks, I'm sticking to the brother story, Ri," Jackson said with a smirk on his face.

Riley rolled her eyes and shook her head, "come on, moron. We gotta go get the civilians out of the bear cave."

"You think I'm a moron?" Jackson asked with a frown.

"Yeah...but you're my moron," Riley smirked and they walked towards the cave.

"Hey Riley, if those people are in the bear cave...then where are the bears?" Jackson asked her.

Riley looked at her long time idiot friend, "do I look like Doctor Dolittle? I don't know. Hibernating?"

Jackson snorted. "For the civvies' sake, I sure hope so," he said. "Because I don't have anymore flare guns."

Riley pulled out her pistol and showed Jackson with a smirk, "don't worry, Jacks. I got us covered."

"Missed ya, Ri," Jackson said sincerely. He had looked at her like an older sister he never had. Jackson had just turned eighteen and his father agreed that he can go off on hunts as long as he had a hunting partner, because let's face it, Jackson's not the best hunter out there. He's clumsy, not very observant, and not a good shot. But Riley loved the idiot to death and as long as she was breathing, she wasn't going to let anything happen to him. Not on her watch.

Riley smiled at him, "missed you too, J."

They walked in silence for a few minutes and Riley stopped short, looking at Jackson incredulously, "wait a sec, you were gonna shoot Yogi with a flare gun?" She asked him with a perturbed look on her face.

Jackson shrugged, "hey, whatever I gotta do to defend myself."

"Yeah, and with your luck we would have a giant flaming pissed off bear on our hands," Riley retorted with an amused smirk on her face.

* * *

They had spent three days in Minnesota and Riley could not wait to come back home and crash. Eleven and a half hours later, (would have been ten if Jackson didn't have to pee every damn hour,) the two walked into the roadhouse with the place jam packed. It was nearing ten PM and the place was loaded with hunters.

Riley smirked when she saw Jo, yet again hustling some poor sap for his money. She shook her head while she watched the girl who was practically her sister show a little too much cleavage to distract the man from hitting his striped ball into the hole. Jo put on her best smile, as she was the one who had to shoot the eight ball in and that would lead her to her victory. She held her hand out making a 'give me' motion and the man slapped a Benjamin into her palm and she smirked as he walked away. Jo pulled quite a few more Benjamin's and some fifty dollar bills from her bra too. She definitely got lucky tonight. She smiled and waved the money up for Riley and Jackson to see. Jackson laughed and Riley simply shook her head with a smirk on her face.

Only Jo.

Ellen was at the bar having small talk with some hunters. They probably knew either Bill or Brian. She smiled when her eyes caught sight of Riley and Jackson. She excused herself from the men and called out to the two hunters she considered her own children, "Riley! Jacks!"

Both approached Ellen with triumphant smiles on their faces as they took a seat at the bar.

Ellen looked at them. "So, how'd the hunt go?"

Riley shrugged her shoulders, "wendigo's dead. Saved four people. Shot a bear. The usual."

Ellen's brows rose, "you _shot_ a bear?" She asked, confused.

Jackson looked somewhat guilty, "alright, so I _may have_ tripped over it while it was sleeping and pissed it off," he defended himself.

Riley scoffed, "_tripped over it?_ No, J. You _ran into it_ like a damn bull," she said flatly. "If I didn't have my gun, one or both of us would be dead right now."

Ellen stared at the young man with wide, semi-amused eyes. Whenever Riley took Jackson for a hunt, they always came back with some crazy story. She shook her head and placed a beer out for Riley and a soda for Jackson.

"Hey! Where's my beer?" Jackson asked, frowning.

"You're eighteen. Underage, Jacks." Ellen replied.

His head turned back to Riley and then back to Ellen, "so is she!" He argued. "She's twenty!"

Ellen gave Jackson a hard look, which he gladly returned. She raised a brow and dared the boy to keep going. When he backed down, Riley snorted a laugh, "hah—hey!" She scowled at her aunt, who had just took the beer out of her hand when she was about to take a swig at it. "Aunt Ellen!" She whined.

"Don't make fun of the boy next time." Ellen scolded. She threw Riley her apron, "come on! I need some help around here. Clearly Jo's a bit busy..." She said shaking her head slightly. Riley and Jackson glanced back at Jo who was in the prowl looking for yet another hunter to scam.

Riley snatched the apron and tied it around her waist, "I gotta admit, girl's a pro." Jackson nodded in agreement.

The phone rang and Ellen made to answer it, but Riley beat her to it, "Harvelle's Roadhouse." Riley made sure to be extra enthusiastic because for whatever reason, it annoyed Ellen and she loved to bother her for the hell of it. Jackson smirked at her.

_"Hey, Riley, uh, Sam Winchester." _She heard Sam's voice through the ear piece.

Riley smiled, voice going back to her normal, usual excitement, "hey, Sam. What's up?"

_"Eh, on a hunt. Vampires. I got a question for you,"_ Sam said to her.

"Sure, shoot."

_"You ever run across a guy named Gordon Walker?" _He asked and Riley tensed. Oh, she knew Gordon all too well.

She realized that she didn't answer Sam yet and spoke up, "yeah, I know Gordon."

_"And?"_

Riley wasn't going to lie. "Well, um, he's a real good hunter. Why do you ask?"

_"Well, we ran into him on a job and we're kinda working with him, I guess."_

"No," Riley said quickly. "Don't that, Sam."

_"But I thought you said he's a good hunter?"_

Jackson heard Sam over the phone and scoffed, "yeah, and Hannibal Lecter's a good psychiatrist," he wisecracked.

Riley smirked at him and continued her conversation with Sam, "look, Sam, the guy is dangerous to everyone and everything around him. Take it from somebody who knows, if he's working on a job, you and Dean let him be and move on."

_"Riley—"_

"No, Sam. Just listen to what I'm telling you, alright. Let him deal with the vamps. You hear me? The guy is bad news," Riley warned him and Sam heard the urgency in her voice. She _knew_ Gordon Walker.

_"Yeah, okay. I'll tell Dean and we will let him handle it,"_ he said. _"Thanks for letting me know, Riley."_

"Of course. Call if you need anything."

Riley hung up the phone with a huff and turned to Jackson. "Gordon Walker and the Winchesters are apparently working a case together."

Ellen jerked her head so fast, Riley was surprised it didn't snap, "what?!" She yelled. "You tell him to let him be and _leave_?"

Riley nodded her head, "uh, yeah. You remember what happened when I ran into him with dad that time in Lansing. Asshat nearly gotten me killed on that hunt."

"A hunt that you weren't even on..." Jackson reminded them.

"My point exactly," Riley said.

Ellen blew out a breath and shook her head, "don't get me wrong, the man is a great hunter. But he has no moral concept."

"Agreed." Both Riley and Jackson said in unison.

A few moments of silence passed and Riley furrowed her brows in deep thought before turning to Ellen, "Aunt Ellen, you thought I was crazy for shooting a bear?" She questioned. Riley then pointed her thumb in Jackson's direction, "Ranger Smith over here wanted to blast it with a flare gun."

Ellen's face fell and she stared at Jackson, unimpressed. He looked at her intimidating expression and leaned back slightly on the bar stool and chuckled sheepishly. "Heh, oops," Jackson said while rubbing the back of his neck.

Ellen stared at the two in front of her, she turned around to grab a beer and set it in front of Riley then went to tend to other customers. She spun to face Riley and Jackson, "just that one," she pointed to the beer in her hand, "and then get to work. Busy night."

Riley smirked and looked at Jackson, she raised her beer and clinked it with his now half filled soda, "job well done," she grimaced, "sorta..."

Jackson mocked being offended, "hey!" He placed a hand over his heart and stared at her in pretend shock. "Riley, that hurts."

She let out a loud laugh, "don't you worry, J. I'll get you there. You're still pretty new to all this," she told him with a smile. "Practice makes perfect."

* * *

**TWO WEEKS LATER**

The impala sped down a dark empty highway while the radio played softly. Dean was behind the wheel and Sam in the passenger seat. The eldest Winchester glanced at his brother who was staring out the window deep in thought and spoke up, "I don't know, man, why don't we just chill out, think about this."

Sam shut off the radio and turned to face his brother, frustrated, "What's there to think about?" He asked.

"I just don't know if going to the Roadhouse is the smartest idea..." Dean said hesitantly, he didn't want anyone to know about Sam's abilities, especially that the bar was usually full of other hunters.

"Dean, it's another premonition. I know it. This is gonna happen, and Ash can tell us where," Sam explained.

"Yeah, man, but—"

"Plus it could have some connection with the demon. My visions always do," Sam cut in.

"That's my point," Dean snapped. "There's gonna be hunters there, I don't know if, if, if going in and announcing that you're some supernatural freak with a, a demonic connection is the best thing, okay?"

"So I'm a freak now?" Sam questioned hurt.

Dean looked at his brother with his trademark smirk and slapped his hand on his thigh, "you've always been a freak."

* * *

The roadhouse was packed with hunters. Not unusual at this hour. Hunters cleaning their weapons at the tables, some drinking at the bar and talking. They spotted Jo playing a shooter arcade game while an older man, Ed watched. She successfully hit every target and beat Ed's score.

He groaned, shaking his head, "damn, little lady, that was my room money," he complained as he pulled money out to give.

She pulled the money out of his hand and shrugged her shoulders unsympathetically, "well, I guess you're taking a truck nap tonight," she grinned and walked away from him.

Ellen approached Ed, shaking her head with a small smirk on her face, "oughta check the high scores before you put your money down." Ed watched as Ellen pressed a button to reveal the high score listings and it all said the same name scrolling down the screen:

_Player: Jo_

"You went and got yourself hustled, Ed," Ellen said.

Dean and Sam made their way through the crowd of people in search for Ash. Without realizing, Dean nearly collided with Jo. It was mobbed inside the roadhouse, filled with loud and drunk hunters. Jo looked up and her eyes met with Dean, she couldn't help but smile.

"Just can't stay away, huh?"

Dean smirked at her and nodded his head, "yeah, looks like," he said tiredly. "How you doin', Jo?"

Sam, clearly anxious, abruptly interrupts their conversation, "where's Ash?"

"In his back room," she said furrowing her brows.

"Great," was all he said before pushing past her and darted for Ash's room.

Jo looked back at Sam who was already pushing through everyone else to get to the back room, voice dripping with sarcasm, "and I'm fine..."

Dean sent her a sympathetic look, "sorry, he's—we're...kind of on a bit of a timetable." He excused himself and followed his brother towards the back.

Sam and Dean approached the narrow hallway and ended up standing in front of a wooden door with a sign that read: Dr. BADASS IS: IN.

Sam knocked on the door, "Ash? Hey, Ash?" When he didn't respond, Dean huffed an annoyed breath and knocked a little harder than his brother, "Ash! Come on, man! We gotta talk!"

A door a few feet away from the brothers opened and Riley popped her head out, "Winchesters?" She asked with a brow raised. She definitely wasn't expecting them here tonight.

Dean put his hands in the air and then pointed to Ash's door, "he ain't answering."

Riley smirked as she made her way towards the boys. She was dressed in a light grey tank top and navy blue sweatpants. It was her night off. She had done another case with Jackson, a supposed _simple salt and burn,_ as Jackson put it. After nearly getting pushed off a ten story building that the ghost was haunting, Ellen decided to let her rest up for a few days.

Both the brothers looked at the young woman as she stared at the door for a moment before banging her fist against the wood with great force, "hey, Dr. Badass? You got patients waitin' for ya!"

The door was then unlocked and opened to a crack, behind it revealed Ash, who was naked. Sam and Dean averted their eyes.

"Damn it, Ash! Put your clothes on!" Riley yelled, squeezing her eyes shut. It wasn't the first time she walked in on the guy naked, but it never felt any less awkward.

Ash smirked and looked at the brothers in somewhat of a daze, "Sam? Dean? Sam and Dean," he said, slowly registering what was currently happening. His gaze then turned to Riley, "oh hey, Riley..."

She raised a brow and made a face, "hello."

Sam looked at Ash, trying his best to keep his attention to his face, "hey, Ash. Um, we need your help."

The smirk never left Ash's face. "Well, hell then. Guess I need my pants," he said, looking at the three people standing outside his door.

Riley nodded her head, "yeah. You do that." She said, exasperated.

She shook her head and walked out towards the bar, she noticed that Ellen was starting to clear everyone out and she checked her watch. Huh, that late already?

Dean had already taken a seat at the bar when they came back from Ash's room. Riley noticed the uneasy expression on Sam's face, she lightly grabbed Sam by the elbow to get his attention, "hey Sam, you okay?" She asked, concerned.

He only gave her a forced small smile and nodded his head before making his way to his brother at the bar.

* * *

Sitting at one of the tables with his laptop, Ash was looking at the hand-drawn sketch of a bus logo that Sam had seen in his vision. Sam sat across from him and Dean stood behind his younger brother, waiting to get some answers.

"Well, I got a match. It's the logo from the Blue Ridge bus lines in Guthrie, Oklahoma," Ash explained.

Sam nodded his head, "okay. Do me a favor—check Guthrie for any demonic signs, or omens, or anything like that."

Ash looked at Sam, confused, "You think the demon's there?"

"Yeah, maybe," Sam replied.

Ash felt his brows furrow, "why would you think that?" He asked. Surely, if the demon was anywhere, his computer would go off and let him know when and where.

Dean grew impatient and looked at Ash, "just check it, all right?" He said firmly.

Ash gave Dean a look which caused the brothers to frown at each other. Not even a minute later, Ash was shaking his head.

"No, sir, nothing. No demon."

"All right, try something else for me. Search Guthrie for a house fire. It would be 1983, fire's origin would be a baby's nursery, night of the kid's six month birthday." Sam told Ash.

Dean glanced around at the few people who were still in the bar and made sure no one was eavesdropping on their conversation. He caught Jo's eye who was cleaning one of the tables, she was clearly watching them.

Ash looked at the brothers, both startled and confused as to why he would even look that up, "okay, now that is just weird, man. Why the hell would I be looking for that?" He questioned quietly, eyes wide.

Without missing a beat, Sam pulled out a beer and placed it next to Ash's laptop, "cause there's a PBR in it for ya."

Ash eyed the beer for a moment and look at Sam with a smirk, "give me fifteen minutes." With that Sam and Dean both got up from the table as Ash took a swig of his beer and got to work on his laptop.

Riley was leaning on the counter with a bottle of water in hand as she watched everyone inside the roadhouse. Ellen was drying dishes and Riley stood up to go help her. Ellen looked at her niece, "oh no, honey. Tonight is your night off. Relax for a bit, huh?"

Riley smiled and nodded her head, "sure thing, Aunt Ellen." She placed her elbows on the counter as she leaned back and let out a tired sigh. Ellen put a glass in the drainer and turned to face her niece, "so, when do you think you'll be headed on another hunt?"

Riley shook her head and shrugged, "not sure. I'm usually just taking Jackson on hunts nowadays. So whenever he calls I'll go. Why? Is there something wrong?" She questioned worriedly.

Ellen smiled, "no, ain't nothing wrong, Ri. That boy is very lucky that you got his back. God knows he needs it." She said with a chuckle.

"You're preaching to the choir," Riley said, nodding. "I really wonder why Hallowell wanted to raise his son into this. He could've gotten out. J was still to little to know what was going on back then."

Ellen shrugged, "well, I could say the same about your daddy and Uncle Bill. It's like what you always said, once you're in the life—"

"You can never get out...yeah, I know." Riley finished for her aunt, letting out a sigh. "All I'm saying is, those people who get into the life and don't have to are idiots..." She muttered. A part of Riley wanted to throw all of it away and go live the normal white picket fence life, but when she thought about it, if she didn't go out there to save other peoples' asses from the supernatural, who will?

Ellen huffed, causing Riley to look at her with a frown, "well, then you should go talk to your idiot cousin."

Riley's brows furrowed as she glanced at Jo who was messing around with the jukebox, "wait a second, Jo wants to hunt?" She whispered to her aunt with wide, surprised eyes.

Ellen hummed her response, "oh yeah, I told her no."

Riley nodded her head agreeing, "good. If she doesn't need to be hunting then she shouldn't."

Ellen looked at her in surprise, "you wouldn't want her hunting with you?"

"It's not that I wouldn't want her hunting with me. I just don't want her hunting, period." Riley said, looking at Jo. She then turned to face Ellen completely, "one of the main reasons why I still do this is because of dad's business. Another is to make sure Jackson doesn't get himself killed. And because at the end of the day, I can go to bed knowing that someone else won't have to wake up with all the pain and grief that we carry with us."

Ellen had a sad smile on her face as she looked at her niece, "your daddy would be real proud of you, Riley."

"I'll talk with Jo about hunting later," Riley said, returning the smile and pushed herself off the counter and walked towards Ash.

"Hey, mullet man," she greeted Ash as she propped her feet up on the table, almost knocking his beer over.

"Hey! Watch the beer!" Ash warned as he picked it up taking his last swig and placing it on the other side of his laptop.

Riley snorted, "Ash, we live in a bar. It's free beer all day, everyday."

Ash let her words sink in for a moment before nodding his head, "touché."

Sam watched the two carefully by the bar with a curious expression. He was happy that he and his brother had stumbled into the roadhouse when they did. He got the homey vibe off the place and everyone there made Sam feel comfortable. Ellen was a sweetheart and she had that motherly instinct on him and Dean just as much as she had with her own daughter and niece. It was nice knowing that there were others who cared about them. Jo was a spitfire for sure, he hasn't spoken to her much, but he could tell that she was a good person. Ash was doing everything in his power to help them track down the demon who destroyed the Winchester family. Riley was sweet girl with a cool personality, he recognized the bond that she and Jo share from when they first met. And even though Riley was younger than Jo, Sam could clearly see the protectiveness she had of her cousin. He admired that about her and in a way, it reminded him of himself and Dean.

He got off the bar stool and made his way to the two. Riley looked up and sent him a smile that he returned. "Ash, anything?" He asked, with big worried eyes. Riley squinted her eyes in suspicion while she look at Sam. He seemed nervous and was definitely itching to get back on the road.

Ash glanced up at Sam, "uh..." The laptop began to beep and Ash smirked, "now I do." He began to type on his laptop. Ash looked at Sam, "Andrew Gallagher. Born in 1983. House fire the night of his six month birthday."

Riley frowned as she looked between Sam and Ash.

"Thanks Ash," Sam said as he went straight to his brother.

Riley looked at Ash, "and they wanted you to dig up that piece of information, why?"

Ash could only shrug his shoulders in response. He wasn't quite sure either.

On the other side of the bar, Jo had pressed a couple of buttons on the old jukebox and a song from REO Speedwagon _Can't Fight This Feeling_ began to play. Dean, who was sitting at the bar with a beer of his own looked in Jo's direction with an incredulous look on his face. Jo saw it and smirked. She carried a tray filled with empty beer bottles and whatnot to the bar and set it down before sitting next to Dean.

_I can't fight this feeling any longer._

_And yet I'm still afraid to let it flow._

_What started out as friendship,_

_Has grown stronger._

_I only wish I had the strength to let it show._

_I tell myself that I can't hold out forever._

_I said there is no reason for my fear._

_Cause I feel so secure when we're together._

_You give my life direction,_

_You make everything so clear..._

Dean's expression didn't change and Jo looked at him, "what?" She questioned, quirking a brow. That little action made Dean think of Riley. They both had the same mannerisms and honestly, they looked more like sisters than cousins.

"REO Speedwagon?" He asked.

Jo nodded her head approvingly, "damn right REO. Kevin Cronin sings it from the heart."

"He sings it from the hair. There's a difference," Dean responded and heard a small snort from Riley who was walking towards Ash.

"That profile you've got Ash looking for..." Jo trailed off.

Dean looked at her. "Hmm?"

"Your mom died the Same way, didn't she? A fire in Sam's nursery?"

Dean let out an exasperated sigh, "look, Jo, it's kind of a family thing." He explained. No way in hell did he want anyone else involved in the Winchester family affairs.

"I could help."

"I'm sure you could. But we've got to handle this one ourselves. Besides, if I ran off with you I think your mother might kill me." He said, sneaking a glance at Ellen who was cleaning glasses behind the bar. She met his stare and Dean smiled nervously at her.

"You're afraid of my mother?" Jo asked, looking at Dean like he was crazy.

He could only nod his head, "I think so."

Sam, who was near Ash and Riley for the last few minutes had come up behind Jo and looked right at Dean, "we have a match. We've gotta go." He said hurriedly.

Dean sighed and looked at Jo, getting up from his seat. "All right, Jo. See you later."

Jo simply nodded her head, disappointed, "yeah, see ya later..."

* * *

Riley and Ash took a seat between Jo and they both looked at her expectantly. Jo glanced at the two of them and groaned, "now what?"

"Why do you want to go hunt supernatural creatures that want to kill us?" Riley asked, deadpan.

Jo's eyes widened and she looked at her mother who was leaning on the counter, similar to Riley's position before with her arms crossed and brows raised.

"Oh, come on! Are you guys serious?" She questioned, looking at her family aggravated. She then spun to her left where Riley was seated, "if you can do it, then why can't I?" She asked angrily.

Ellen took a couple of steps closer to where the trio was sitting, "because, honey, her daddy trained her to be a hunter. You never even went on a hunt before." She explained.

"Well, I am perfectly capable of going on a hunt," Jo said, "I know what I'm doing."

"We're sure you do, Jo. But, why get into it when you don't have to?" Ash asked quietly.

"Who said I'm not in it?" Jo scoffed, "come on, Ash! I work in a bar full of hunters!"

Riley coughed. When the three turned their attention to her, Riley raised her index finger and pointed at Jo, "ahem, you _hustle_ _and scam_ people in a bar full of hunters." She clarified, earning smirks from Ellen and Ash.

She gave Riley her best stink face and sighed. Riley let out a long breath before propping her elbow on the bar and turned to face her completely, "look, Jo, it's not that we don't think you aren't capable out there, because we know that you are. But, hunting isn't just about killing monsters."

Jo furrowed her brows, "then what is it about?"

Riley smiled, "saving people. To do the right thing. But no matter how hard you train, nobody walks out that door fully prepared to fight the supernatural. You may think it now, but in that moment, are you really going to be able to pull the trigger, or chop a vampires head off, or dig up a fresh body? Cause I'll be honest, I sure as hell wasn't able to my first time round."

"I'll do it," Jo said, not backing down.

The smile faded and Riley shook her head, "don't get yourself involved in this Jo, I'm telling you right now because once you get to deep into this, there's no going back." She told her seriously.

"Then why the hell do you do it, Riley?" Jo spat.

"Joanna!" Ellen scolded her daughter for her attitude.

"I don't want to. But after dad, I had to. And now I do it for Jackson too."

"So why can't you teach me like you teach Jackson?" Jo asked, shaking her head at her cousin.

"Because he doesn't have a choice in this! You do, Jo!" Riley yelled, hopping off her seat heatedly. "_You do!_ So take it and don't get into this! No hunter does this for shits and giggles! There's always a risk! I can walk out that door on my next hunt and not come back!" She yelled, pointing to the door.

Jo's attitude dropped after Riley's outburst. She didn't look at it that way. Jo had her own reasons for wanting to get into the life. She grew up at the roadhouse surrounded by hunters who tell their stories about their previous hunts. Jo was intrigued by it and wanted that adrenaline rush hunters got when they chased down that monster. The other part wanted to do it because of her father. He was a hunter and died on the field. She wanted to go out and save people in his memory. Jo was so young when Bill died, it made it a lot harder to understand the true meaning of death.

She looked at Riley, fear growing that one day Riley may not come back home after a hunt. She was right, there are always risks. But, it didn't mean she had given up the whole idea of hunting either.

"Riley..."

"I'm serious, Jo," Riley said with a serious expression. "If you don't have to do this...then _don't_."

The only thing Jo could manage to do was nod her head.

Ash inhaled a deep breath after a moment of awkward silence, he glanced around the roadhouse and noticed that it was now just the four of them inside. "Well, anyone find it strange that those Winchesters had me search up house fires that start in a baby's nursery on the night of their six month birthday in 1983?"

Riley made a face, "yeah I heard...it's definitely strange."

Ellen furrowed her brows in concentration and looked at Ash, "did you find a match?"

"Mhmm..." Ash said as he leaned over the bar from his seat to grab a beer.

"Isn't that how Sam and Dean's mom died?" Jo asked. "A fire that started up in Sam's nursery? Is there some sort of pattern?"

Riley's brows rose as she looked at the three of them, "well, I'd say that these boys just got a whole lot more interesting..."

* * *

The car ride in the impala was filled with Dean's singing voice of the song that Jo had played back at the roadhouse.

"And even as I wander, I'm keeping you in sight

You're a candle in the window on a cold dark winter night

And I'm getting closer than I ever thought I might..."

Sam stared at his brother incredulously, "you're kidding, right?"

"I heard the song somewhere, I can't get it out of my head, I don't know, man. Whaddya got?" Dean said, quickly changing the subject.

Sam looked down at the stack of papers on his lap. He began flipping through them until he found the specific piece of paper he was looking for, "Andrew Gallagher. Born in eighty three, like me. Lost his mother in a nursery fire exactly six months later, also like me."

"You think the demon killed his mom?" Dean asked quietly.

Sam shrugged, looking down at the papers, "sure looks like it."

"How did you even know to look for this guy?" Dean questioned.

"Every premonition I've had, if they're not about the demon they're about the other kids the demon visited. Like Max Miller, remember him?" He said looking at his brother.

"Yeah, but Max Miller was a pasty little psycho," Dean responded back.

"The point is he was killing people," Sam stressed. "And I was having the same type of visions about him. And now it could be happening all over again with this Gallagher guy."

"How do we find him?"

"Don't know. No current address, no current employment. He still owes money on all his bills—phone, credit, utilities..."

"Collection agency flags?" Dean asked with his brows furrowed as he stared at the road in front of him.

"None in the system."

"They just let him take a walk?" Dean asked, doubtful.

"Seems like it. There's a work address from his last W-2, about a year ago. Let's start there."

* * *

On this particular case, Dean and Sam found themselves meeting not one, but two more special children like Sam. One, from their original lead, they had found themselves accusing Andy Gallagher of murder of several different people, all of which Sam kept having visions about. They also learned of Andy's particular ability, unlike Sam, Andy was able to use mind control and "persuade" people. Everyone except Sam.

It was later discovered that Andy was adopted and had a twin brother. A brother who happened to be in the area and someone he knew. Like Andy, Webber was able to use mind control and told his brother a little about yellow eyes' plans for them and all the other special children before Andy had killed him.

The police had arrived on the bridge by morning. Andy had spoken to the three police officers telling them what had happened the night before. Sam was with a paramedic who was tending his injured shoulder while Dean stood by his side.

"He shot himself. And you all saw it happen," Andy told the policemen.

"Yeah. We did," the police officer dumbly agreed.

The paramedic left Sam and Dean. They were both watching Andy in action, "look at him. He's getting better at it," Sam stated.

Andy began to walk towards the brothers and passed the ambulance truck where the girl, Tracy, was sitting. She had a blanket wrapped around her shoulders and when she glanced at Andy she turned away, avoiding his eyes.

"She won't even look at me," Andy told the brothers, sadness in his voice.

"Yeah, she's pretty shaken up," Sam replied.

Andy shook his head, "no, it's, this is different. It's, uh, I never, I never used my mind thing on her before. Before last night. She's scared of me now," he explained.

Sam and Dean glanced at each other for a minute before turning back to Andy, "hey, Andy, I hate to do this, but um, we have to get out of here." He passed him a piece of paper. "Here. I wrote down my cell. You don't have to be alone in this, all right? If anything comes up, just call me up."

Andy looked at the brothers in surprise, certainly not expecting them to leave so quickly. "Wha-what am I supposed to do now?" He practically begged for answers.

"You be good, Andy. Or we'll be back," Dean warned.

They both walked away and left Andy standing on the bridge.

"Look like I was right," Sam said grimly.

"About what?" Dean questioned, brows furrowed.

"Andy. He's a killer after all," Sam told him with a sigh.

Dean shook his head and looked at his brother like he was an idiot. "No, he's a hero. He saved his girlfriend's life, he saved my life."

"Bottom line, last night, he wasted somebody," Sam said. Sometimes he was so hardheaded.

"Yeah, but he's not a foaming-at-the-mouth psycho. He was just, he was pushed into that," Dean defended him.

Sam looked at his brother, "Weber was pushed too, in his own way. Max Miller was pushed. Hell, I was pushed by Jessica's death."

Dean stopped walking, "what's your point, Sam?"

"Right circumstances, everyone's capable of murder," he said to his brother. "Everyone. You know, maybe that's what the demon's doing. Pushing us. Finding ways to break us."

Dean looked hesitant, "Sam, we don't know what the demon wants, okay? Quit worrying about it."

"You know, I heard you before, Dean, when Andy made you tell the truth. You're just as scared of this as I am," Sam admitted.

Dean got defensive, "that was mind control! I mean, it's like, that's like being roofied, man, that doesn't count."

"What?" Sam asked and made a face.

"No. I'm, I'm calling do-over."

"What are you, seven?" Sam said scrunching up his face.

"Doesn't matter. Look, we've just gotta keep doing what we're doing, find that evil son of a bitch and kill it," Dean told his brother.

He heard Sam let out a sigh, "yeah, I guess."

Before Dean could say anything else, his phone rang. He pulled it out of his pocket, glancing at the caller ID: Ellen. He flipped it open and answered, "hello?"

_"Dean."_

"What's going on?"

_"You and your brother get your asses here. Now."_

"Yeah, we'll be right there."

* * *

Sam and Dean hightailed their way back to the roadhouse, going twenty over the speed limit. Neither brother had no idea what Ellen wanted, but just by the sound of her voice on the phone, Dean could tell it was Important.

A few hours later, they were back at the roadhouse, sitting at the bar, Ellen was standing behind it staring at them while Jo wandered around the room, trying to listen in on what her mother was about to say.

"Jo?" Ellen questioned.

"Hmm?"

"Go pull up another case of beer," she ordered.

Jo whined, "mom..."

"Now. Please," Ellen said sternly. She was in no mood for joking around.

Sam glanced around the room and noticed that Riley and Ash were nowhere to be seen. Ellen eyed her daughter as she left the room to get the beer and she leaned on the bar in front of Sam and Dean.

"So. You uh, you want to tell me about this last hunt of yours?" Ellen asked.

"No. Not really," Dean replied shortly. "No offense, it's just kind of a family thing."

Ellen looked at the brothers, "not anymore." She dropped a stack of papers in front of them and when it hit the counter it made a loud sound.

"I got this stuff from Ash," she explained. "Andrew Gallagher's house burnt down on his six month birthday, just like your house. You think it was the demon both times, don't you? You think it went after Gallagher's family?"

"Yeah, we think so," Sam said to Ellen.

"Sam..." Dean warned.

Ellen shook her head, confused, "why?"

"None of your business," Dean quipped, not wanting to give anyone any information.

Ellen snapped. "You mind your tongue with me, boy," she scolded. "This isn't just your war, this is war. Now, something big and bad's coming and it's coming fast, and their side holds all the cards. Now, at best all we got is us. Together. No secrets or half-truths here."

Sam sighed, giving in, "there are people out there, like Andy Gallagher, like me. And um, we all have some kind of ability."

"Ability?"

Dean rolled his eyes and stared at the bar. He was uncomfortable talking to anyone else about what was happening to his little brother and all these other people because in all honesty, he had no idea what was happening himself.

"Yeah. Psychic ability. Me, I have, um, I have visions. Premonitions. I don't know, it's different for everybody. The demon said he had plans for people like us." Sam said quietly.

"What kind of plans?" She asked with wide, confused eyes.

Sam shook his head "we don't really know for sure."

"These people out there, these psychics," Ellen went on. "Are they dangerous?"

"No." Dean spoke up. "Not all of them."

Sam quickly jumped in, "but some are. Some are very dangerous."

"Okay, how many of them are we looking at?" Ellen asked.

"We've been able to track a clear pattern so far. They've all had house fires on the night of the kid's six month birthday," Dean explained.

"That's not true," Sam said, disappointment in his quiet voice.

Dean jerked his head, now facing his brother, "what?"

"Weber? Or Ansen Weems, or whatever his name is, I looked at his files, and there was no house fire. Nothing out of the ordinary.

"Which breaks pattern," Ellen breathed. "So if there's any others like him, there'd be nothing in the system. No way to track 'em all down."

"And so who knows how many of 'em are really out there?" Dean said, defeated.

Ellen looked up and saw Jo bringing in the case of beer. Letting out a long sigh, "Jo, honey?"

She placed the case down on the table and looked up at her mother, "yeah?"

"You'd better break out the whiskey instead."

* * *

It was quiet in Ash's room. Riley had made herself comfortable on his bed as she leaned against the wall with her journal in her lap. She glanced at Ash, he was busy typing away on his computer. She stared at the wall in front of her, his room was painted a dark olive green and had posters of random things hanging on his wall. Just like every regular guy, the place was a mess. She watched Ash grab a screwdriver off his desk and began to work on a part of his laptop.

"Hey Ash?" Riley said, no louder than a whisper.

Ash placed the screwdriver back on the desk and closed his laptop, leaving it on his lap. He looked up at her, "yeah Riles?"

"The stuff that you searched up before...about the fires in the nursery...this demon, it's a lot bigger than us?" She asked, looking at him with wide, fearful eyes.

She watched Ash sit back in his seat and look at the wooden floors that were cluttered with clothes, magazines, computer parts, and god knows what else. When he met Riley's eyes a moment later, she could see the fear that resided behind them. "I don't know what exactly those Winchester boys are looking for...but, what I do know is that whatever they are getting themselves into..." He shook his head, "there is a much bigger picture. And whatever that is, it still remains to be seen."

Riley nodded her head numbly and swallowed hard. The way Ellen acted after she had Ash search up all the information on Andy and the other house fires...it put everyone on edge. She never saw Ellen nervous or even afraid. And now that she has, Riley knew that shit was going to hit the fan, it was only a matter of time.

Ash watched silently as Riley wrote in her journal. He really didn't know what the Winchesters were even getting into and he doubted that they did either. But whatever it was...it was bound to get a whole lot worse.

* * *

**I hope you enjoyed this chapter! I'm not totally happy with how it came out, but hopefully y'all liked it! If you liked Jackson then get ready, we shall be seeing more of him throughout the story! He is a hilariously stupid guy, but everyone loves him. I planned a chapter that he features in and oh my lord, I cannot wait to write it! :)What did you guys think of the little argument between Jo and Riley?**

**I do apologize that if there are certain things that seem unclear about Riley and about her hunting, everything will be clarified in upcoming chapters! The history with her mother and father and such..**

**Drop me a review and let me know what you think! :)**


	4. The Family Merchandise

**A/N**: _Hi everyone! So here is the next chapter of Riley's story! I'm super excited about this chapter in particular because it delves into Riley's past and there is quite a bit of action too! If you liked Jackson, then you'll enjoy this chapter! Leave me a review on your way out! I want to know what you guys think so far!_

* * *

**_Chapte_****_r_****_ Three:_**** The Family Merchandise **

**_August 2nd, 2001 (Five Years Ago)_**

_In the simple town of Rochester, Indiana stood Brian Harvelle waiting for an old time friend and hunter to meet him at his motel. Riley, at the age of fifteen was passed out on one of the Queen sized beds, exhausted from the long car trip. She knew what was out there hiding in the dark and instead of fearing for her life like any normal teenage girl would; Riley faced it head on, asking her father to teach her everything he knew. He admired his daughter and her pure stubbornness reminded him of her mother._

_It was because of her stubborn mother that they were in this mess actually._

_The blue jeep had pulled up next to Brian's truck and he watched Eric Hallowell climb out of the drivers seat and slam the car door. On the other side, the passenger side door opened and out came thirteen-year old Jackson. Brian felt a smirk tugging on his lips when he saw them._

_Eric nodded his head and more or less shoved Jackson into the motel room with Riley, letting the door slam behind him. He looked at Brian with a pointed look, "so, what the hell kind of amulet is this that want me to hang on to for safe keeping?"_

* * *

The sun had barely made itself known through the window in the early hours of the morning. Riley stared up at the ceiling of her bedroom, not really wanting to leave the comfort of her bed. Like most of the bedrooms, Riley's feet had met with the cool wooden floor. She stretched her arms out as far as she could and let out a tired yawn. She spared a glance at her little digital clock on her nightstand that read **5:58AM**. Blowing out a sigh, she grabbed an elastic hair band and threw her hair up in a messy bun. She grabbed her black framed glasses that was resting on top of several books on her small desk and quietly walked out of her bedroom, heading straight for the bathroom.

Still overcome with sleep, she barely noticed the big figure in her path until she bumped into him. Riley jumped back, clearly startled, blinking wildly as she tried to focus her tired eyes on the tall figure.

"Uh, hi Riley."

_Sam?_

Riley looked up at saw Sam standing their awkwardly in a plain white T-shirt and black sweatpants. Most likely coming out of the bathroom himself. She furrowed her brows in confusion. "Sam? I thought you left last night." It sounded more like a question than a statement.

Sam shrugged, "yeah, we were going to, but Ellen insisted we stay and leave in the morning."

Riley just nodded her head. "Alright. Well, I'm gonna go pee and I'll get started on breakfast for everyone," she told him, rubbing her eyes.

Sam felt a smirk spread across his face. She was very blunt with her words this morning and was clearly still half asleep. "Riley—you don't have to do that..."

She looked up at him for a moment before saying anything. _Jesus, this guy is taller than the jolly green giant_, she thought mindlessly.

"So I've been told," Sam said, smile growing.

Realization hit Riley, oh crap. She had actually said that out loud. Letting out a small snort, "sorry," she said with a lazy smile. "My brain isn't really a morning person if you know what I mean," she explained dumbly.

Sam chuckled and nodded his head, "I know."

She waved her hand in the air, letting out a chuckle herself and walked into the bathroom, closing the door behind her.

Sam watched Riley leave and the smile didn't disappear from his face. He walked towards the main room and took a seat at the bar. He glanced around the empty bar. Sam heard shuffling and in came his older brother. Dean ran a hand across his face, still laced with sleep and probably a hangover.

"Mornin'," he mumbled to his brother, taking a seat next to him.

"Hey, uh, so Riley said she would make us something before we hit the road. We'll see if Ash has another lead on the demon and if not, we go on another case." Sam told his brother.

Dean nodded his head and let out a loud yawn, not bothering to cover his mouth.

"Dude..."

Dean smirked at his brother, he opened his mouth, probably going to give his brother his usual sarcastic remarks, but stopped when Riley walked in. She was still dressed in her pajamas and wearing her glasses. She sent them both a smile and said good morning and got to work on breakfast.

"Hope you boys like bacon," she said as she pulled the frying pan out of one of the cabinets. Dean smirked at his brother and Sam shook his head. His brother had a sick obsession with bacon...

"I _love_ bacon," Dean said as he looked at Riley with a shit eating grin plastered on her face. She saw it and laughed.

"Good."

It didn't take long to prepare a nice breakfast for the boys and for everyone else once they woke up. Riley and the boys were talking quietly about random things. It was weird for them to have conversations that didn't relate to hunting, especially when talking to another hunter. But Dean learned that Riley was a pretty cool chick. She was interesting to say the least. She had a great sense of humor and Dean could tell that she was smart. Riley also made a hell of a good breakfast. This bacon was his new heaven.

"Who knew four eyes could make such awesome bacon?" Dean said with a smirk. Riley let out a playful scoff and pushed up her glasses with her index finger. She then pointed at him, "call me four eyes again and there will be no more bacon for you," Riley threatened jokingly. Dean's eyes widened before he pulled his plate closer to him and covered it with his arms, as if he was protecting it. Sam rolled his eyes and shook his head at his idiot brother and Riley barked out a laugh.

"Oh calm down, Dean."

Ash had been the first one to walk inside the bar. The three watched him sniff the air and smirk. His eyes laid on Riley and he looked at her confused, "wait, I thought Jo was makin' us breakfast today?" He questioned.

"Yeah, well, I thought since I'm up I'd do it. Besides, I do not trust that girl behind a stove." Riley said, earning snorts from the guys.

Ash shrugged and seemed to agree with Riley, "this is also true." He took a seat next to Sam and Riley placed a plate of food in front of him along with a coffee mug. Ash smirked, leaning over the bar to get a bottle of beer and poured some in his coffee. Riley, Sam and Dean stared at him in disgust.

"Ugh, Ash, it's seven-thirty in the morning and not to mention that beer and coffee do not mix," Riley said, making a face.

He raised his mug up in her direction, "to each his own," he said before taking a big gulp of it. Riley just shook her head and started to clean up the dishes and everything she had taken out to cook.

After taking a few bites of his meal, Ash looked up at Riley, "hey, you remember when Jo tried to make us all pancakes?" He asked, smiling at the memory.

Riley snorted, "oh god. Don't even get me started on that."

Dean looked between the two, "what happened with the pancakes?" He asked, curious.

"What pancakes?" Jo said, entering the room, fully dressed in her signature tight tank top and jeans.

"Oh nothing," Riley dismissed it with the wave of her hand and passed her a dish.

Ellen walked out not long after Jo had and they all spoke to one another over breakfast. Dean was now sitting with Ash explaining the whole story to him about the yellow-eyed demon who was after the special children. He figured now that Ellen knew, it would be better for him to know the actual story from them instead of going off his research, although he was pretty much on the mark. It would probably be better now with Ash knowing because now there are more distinct signs he can look for when tracking the demon.

Ellen had told Jo to clean the dishes since Riley had made breakfast. Ellen was currently on the phone with another hunter for a little while giving some information on a case. Riley and Sam were sitting at one of the tables talking.

Ellen looked at Riley, "have you heard from Jackson, sweetie?" She asked from the bar.

"Uh, he said that he was going to meet his father and he'd come meet me here to work another case," she told her. She sent Ellen a smile before turning back to Sam, "so, you wanna tell me what happened to your hand?" She asked with a smirk.

Sam looked at his cast on his right arm and shook his head, "a zombie got the jump on me during a hunt," he said with a shrug. "That whole case was just nuts. Necromancy crap, you know."

Riley grimaced, "ew, I hate zombies," she said with a shiver.

"Yeah...you and I both." Sam agreed. It was quiet for a minute before Sam spoke up again, "so you were right about Gordon..." He admitted, letting out a long sigh.

Riley quirked a brow, "I'm taking that you two stuck around long enough to find that out yourselves?" She asked him, giving him a pointed look. It almost made Sam laugh, she had these strange motherly characteristics and by the way she had asked that question reminded him how a mother would casually question her kid about stealing cookies from the cookie jar. If she ever decided to settle down and have kids of her own, Sam knew that she would be a great mom.

Sam smiled guiltily, "yeah..." He trailed off before deciding to tell her how they had said their goodbyes to sweet old Gordon. He told her about the vampires that were not feeding on people and how Gordon knew and went after them anyway. He told her about Gordon's sister, which she wasn't all that surprised about. She couldn't help herself but laugh when Sam told her about Dean fighting Gordon and left him tied up in his own crap for two days. He deserved that and so much more.

Letting out the rest of her chuckles, "wow, that's great." She had a smile on her face when she looked at Sam, "but honestly, do yourselves a favor and stay away from the wack-a-doo."

He raised his brows at Riley's word choice and let out a small laugh, "if you don't mind me asking, how did you know Gordon?" He asked with his big curious puppy dog eyes.

Sam watched how Riley's eyes stared down at the small crack in the table as if it was the most interesting thing while she spoke, "well, it was a few months before my dad died...Gordon was tracking down a couple of demons and had called my dad in for some specific devils trap or something like that..." She swallowed hard before continuing, "uh, my dad was already talking to another client that was in the next town over and he told me to go give Gordon the drawings or sigils—it's all kinda hazy now...but my dad said once I give Gordon the stuff that I'd meet up with him," she told Sam and he nodded for her to continue, "except, uh, I never got to meet up with my dad. The demons jumped me and Gordon saw the whole thing and let it happen. I was bait for them, basically."

He stared at Riley with wide, furious eyes; regretting that he didn't work Gordon over himself. Sam was about to open his mouth to say something but Ellen yelled for Riley to answer the phone. She gave him an apologetic smile before jumping out of her seat to pick up the phone.

"Roadhouse. This is Riley."

_"Riley!"_ Jackson shouted on the phone. _"I'm in trouble."_

"What?" Riley answered, confused. He was supposedly with his father, wasn't he? He wouldn't be dumb enough to go on a hunt alone, right? Of course he would. "Jackson! What happened?"

She heard scuffling and Jackson cry out. Riley's eyes were wide as saucers as she listened to what was happening over the phone. _"Vampires! In the farmhouse! Jefferson County, Indiana! Riley, hurry!" _The phone call cut out just as Riley was going to make a reply.

She hung up the phone and looked at Ellen, "it's Jackson. Idiot goes to hunt vampires on his own!" Riley said frantically.

Jo stops at the sink where she had been washing dishes, "I thought you said he was with his dad?"

"That's what I thought! Stupid—friggin'—moron!" She struggled for words that she wanted to shout at her hunter friend. She ran out of the main room and headed to her bedroom throwing on a pair of jeans, a t-shirt with a flannel over it, and her usual hunting boots. She put her contacts on and had thrown her glasses on the dresser carelessly.

She picked up her duffle that was lying near the door and swung it over her shoulder. So much for having a couple of days off...she thought grimly. Her mind kept going back to Jackson's phone call. Was he really that stupid and naive to think he can handle what sounded like a nest of vampires on his own? They barely walk alive when it's the two of them working a case. It just didn't make any sense.

When she rushed out back into the main room, Riley had four pairs of eyes staring at her all with different expressions on their faces. She turned to Ellen, "I'll call you soon as I find him. That kid isn't dying unless I kill him myself," she told her determinedly.

Ellen nodded, "make sure you save a part of him for me, I can just give that kid an ass-whooping for all the idiotic things he's done."

Riley smirked and nodded her head. She looked at the brothers, "I'll see you later, boys." They both nodded their heads and said their goodbyes before Riley practically darted out the door and into her truck. She had a few fours until she got to Indiana. Just as she pulled out of her spot and drove onto the main road, _this is going to be the longest car ride of my life_, she thought.

* * *

_Riley jerked awake from the sound of the motel room door being closed with a slam. She glared at the thirteen-year old and quirked a brow, "and who the heck are you?" She asked, attitude flaring. Both being a hunter in training and a teenage girl had Riley's attitude blazing. Especially right then._

_The boy pushed his floppy dark brown hair out of his face, "hi, uh, our dad's are talking outside." His voice seemed very shaky and nervous. He was clearly intimidated by the blonde._

_"Oh," was all she said. She took in his appearance. He had a lord of the rings t-shirt on along with a pair of jeans and sneakers._

_"Yeah..." He trailed off, eyes looking at anything but her._

_"I don't bite, you know," Riley said to him. She leaped off the bed and watched the boy take a step back. She huffed and held out her hand, "name's Riley, you?"_

_"Jackson. Jackson Hallowell," he said slowly, taking her hand._

_They released each other's hands and stood there in awkward silence for a good minute before Jackson broke the silence, "so do you hunt monsters too?"_

_Riley looked at Jackson in surprise. She didn't think he knew about anything supernatural related considering how the kid held himself. He seemed like a jittery, clumsy mess. She nodded her head slightly, "in training. My dad is gonna teach me everything he knows so if I need to hunt, I'll be ready. But he doesn't really hunt anymore. He has a different hunter job," she told him, crossing her arms and staring at the picture frame that hung on the moldy motel wall._

_"That's cool," Jackson said quietly. "My dad is a hunter too..." He looked up and saw Riley giving him a 'no duh' expression. "Heh, but you knew that already since our dad's are talking and all..."_

_"You are definitely at the top of your class, aren't you?" Riley asked with sarcasm laced in her voice._

_Jackson didn't realize it and took her words literally, "I wouldn't know...I'm homeschooled by my dad."_

_Riley felt her expression drop, "you never went to a normal school before?" She asked in quiet shock._

_She watched him bite his lip and shrug his shoulders, unable to meet her eyes, "I did...but it was a real long time ago. I barely remember."_

_"Why'd you stop?" She asked, curious._

_"Cause my mom died."_

* * *

Riley put her truck in park and she stared at the farmhouse that was standing in front of her. One of the first things she noticed was that Jackson's blue jeep was nowhere to be seen. So either the vampires moved it out of plain sight or they jumped Jackson before hand. Red flag number one.

She pulled out her machete from her duffle and also grabbed her black pistol, sliding it in the back of her jeans. Riley jumped out of the car and made sure she had her small dagger in her right boot where she always kept it. _Better safe than sorry_, she thought.

The hunter did a once over of the property, which was a lot of land and she didn't see anything out of the ordinary. The only thing that threw her off was the dead silence, she was standing in was basically the woods and there was no indication of life anywhere. Sometimes hearing nothing is a lot worse than hearing something. Red flag number two.

Riley swallowed and crept her way up the wooden stairs that creaked with every step she took, wincing at the sound it made. It was a loud sound and whoever was inside the house would know that someone was approaching. _So much for surprising them._

She tried to peek through the window on the left side of the front door, but it was covered with an old white curtain, although, it certainly wasn't white anymore. Riley placed her hand on the nob, checking it to see if the door was locked. It wasn't. Red flag number three.

Twisting the nob, the door easily swung open and revealed nothing but an old abandoned farmhouse. Letting out a breath she didn't even know she was holding, Riley took a step inside looking around for anything out of the ordinary. Maybe the vamps changed their location after finding out that hunters were looking for them? Possibly.

Riley felt her brows furrow when she noticed that the place was way too clean for a vampire nest. Surely, some vampires weren't as sloppy as others, but this takes the cake. It looked like no one had even been here in years. There was a growing pit in her stomach as she took a few more steps inside what she assumed was the living room. It was an open layout and everything on the first floor was pretty much visible from where Riley stood.

She stood there for a good two minutes waiting for something to pounce, but nothing had. Riley got the eerie feeling that maybe Jackson wasn't the one who called her and that someone or something lured her here. Riley jumped when her phone in her back pocket vibrated. She swore quietly as she glanced at the screen, damning herself when she saw who it was from.

**On my way to the roadhouse. Snaked a case off my dad. How are you feeling about shape shifters? — J**

"Damn it..." Riley muttered to herself, shoving her phone back into her pocket before spinning around to leave the farmhouse. The text just confirmed her inner thoughts to be true. This was a trap. Not for Jackson, but for her. Her eyes widened slightly seeing that the front door was now closed, which it hadn't been just a moment before. She walked towards it slowly and raised her hand to turn the nob. Riley heard the floorboard creak behind her, just as she was going to turn around, she was hit over the head and fell to the ground unconscious.

* * *

Night fell and no one has heard anything from either Riley or Jackson. Ellen thought Riley was probably chewing him out for being stupid enough to think he can take out a nest of vampires alone. Although, Ellen always had that small part of her think that the worst happened to those two. Riley was a great hunter, she learned everything from her father and she did her job well. But, no one is invincible, no matter how good of a hunter you are. It was normal for Riley not to check in, if she doesn't hear anything by tomorrow, then she would be really concerned.

Of course, Ellen is always worried about her kids.

Surprisingly, the Winchesters stayed the day, talking to Ash about the demon and he told Sam and Dean to give him a few hours to work on his program that tracks down yellow eyes. The bar began to fill up with the regulars and hunters that stop in for a drink and to trade information and stories. Since Riley wasn't here, Jo was behind the bar with Ellen serving beers and drinks to whoever ordered.

Ash, Sam, and Dean all came out from the back; most likely from Ash's room, they each took a seat at the bar.

"You call us as soon as you got somethin'," Dean told Ash with a pointed look. He could only smirk and nod his head, "aye, aye captain!" Ash gave Dean a mock salute. Both brothers said said goodbye to Ellen and Jo. Dean's eyes lingered on Jo, giving her a look only she would understand.

A few hours ago, while the Winchesters waited to hear from Ash, Dean and Jo had a conversation about hunting. Jo had confided in him that she planned on hunting sometime soon and Dean told her to not get involved in all this supernatural crap, similar to how Riley had. Jo had scoffed and rolled her eyes, muttering that she didn't need to be protected by everyone all the time. Of course, Dean didn't quite understand because he wasn't there to witness the argument between her and her cousin about the topic. Their conversation was cut short when Ash called him and Sam into his room to talk more about the demon. Before Dean followed the two or them, he turned to Jo and told her to stay out of it and to not get herself killed.

Just as the boys were going to walk out the door, it swung open revealing Jackson wearing his usual smirk. Three pairs of eyes widened at the sight of him. He looked completely unharmed and carefree. His eyes scanned the bar for the blonde whom he called his hunting partner.

"Hola, everybody," Jackson greeted as he waved around a case file in the air.

"Jackson?" Jo questioned, obviously confused. She glanced behind him to see if Riley was behind him, but she was nowhere to be seen.

Dean turned to Jo, "Jackson? The same guy who called Riley this morning?" He asked her. Jo could only nod her head.

They all stared wide-eyed at Jackson. The way Riley had been talking about the guy early this morning made it seem like Jackson was in deep trouble with whatever monster he decided to tussle with this time. Sam had also noticed that he didn't even have a scratch on him and then that the girl who went after him wasn't behind him either.

"Jackson? You're okay?" Ellen asked, shocked. She eyed him up and down, checking him over for any physical injuries. Sam had seen Dean do that to him many times in the past and he would admit he would even look over Dean time to time.

Jackson smirked at Ellen and gave her a face that said 'obviously.' "Uh, yeah. Why wouldn't I be okay?" He asked confused.

Dean raised a brow, "uh, maybe because you called this morning sounding like you were going to get slaughtered by a bunch of vampires? You had Riley running outta here to come after you."

Jackson paused and looked at Dean, unsure and confused, "whoa, wait a second—I didn't call anybody. I was with my dad dealing with a case of his own."

Ellen's face registered fear, "oh god."

Jo looked at her mom, just as fearful as her mother, "mom?"

Ellen looked at Ash, "Ash, can you trace that phone call from this morning?"

Dean interrupted, "okay, hold on! Somebody just call her!" Dean said looking at everyone. He understood their worries, but Sam and Dean walked into traps or whatever this was all the time. Riley seemed like a good hunter, she could've gotten herself out of whatever trouble she stepped into.

Ash pulled out his cell and dialed Riley's number. He placed it on the counter with it on speaker. After two rings it went straight to voicemail, _"you've reached Riley Harvelle. You know what to do."_

* * *

_"Are you sure you don't wanna hang on to this, Brian?" Eric asked him worriedly. He did not like the idea of keeping something that demons were apparently after. But after hearing Brian's story, he really couldn't say no. If Brian kept it, it would really put him and his daughter in danger._

_"Please, Eric. No one will know you even have it. It's warded from demons, they won't be able to sense it," he explained, looking into the hunters eyes. There was no way he was able to keep this with him anymore. Even though it was the last connection he had to his laid wife, Brian wasn't going to take the chance of getting his baby girl killed. None._

_"Alright," Eric gave in. "You owe me for this one, Harvelle," he said, tipping his baseball cap at him._

_Brian grabbed Eric's shoulder anxiously, "listen to me, if anyone ever asks what that is, you say it is an anti-possession charm that you got from another hunter, alright? No one can know what this thing is."_

_Eric looked at him for a long moment and swallowed, "yeah, Brian. Don't worry."_

* * *

Blinking slowly, Riley took in her surroundings. She quickly realized that she was still in the old farmhouse. Her head was pounding and she could feel the blood dripping down the left side of her face from where her attacker hit her. Her hands were tied to what looked like a pipe or maybe what was left of a radiator that was nailed to the floor. She made the mistake of moving her left leg and cried out in pain. _What the hell? _She looked at it and noticed what looked like a stab wound near her ankle. It hurt like a bitch!

Riley pulled her right leg towards her and crossed it under her left thigh to try and keep it elevated. She heard the back door swing open and a southern woman with red hair walked out, wearing an evil smirk. What really caught Riley's attention were the black orbs where her eyes were supposed to be.

"Sorry bout that," the redhead nodded to Riley's leg, her eyes going back to normal when she spoke. "We had to take precautions to make sure you don't leave the party too soon."

"Oh well, I am a party animal," Riley sneered. "But uh, this ain't much of a party...where are the balloons and beer?"

She heard a man snort from the back door and Riley jerked her head in his direction. He was a young attractive looking man with short blonde hair and brown eyes. "She's hysterical."

Riley felt her brows furrow as she glanced at the two demons. What the hell did they want from her? She huffed and shook her head, "well ya got me. Now, what is it exactly that you want?" She asked impatiently.

The redhead began to walk towards the kitchen table and 'accidentally' kicked Riley's bad leg, which caused her to cry out slightly. She saw the redhead smirk and mutter an apology she clearly didn't mean. The man took a seat on the couch that was covered in a musty old white sheet and looked at Riley, "told ya, Trish, that she'd come for the stupid little weasel," he said to the redhead.

Riley let out a cynical chuckle and shook her head, "mhmm...how'd you pull that off, huh?" She looked at the blonde demon who never took his eyes off her.

"Us demons can learn a trick or two in hell," he said, using Jackson's voice. Riley sent him a glare, which only caused his smirk to grow wider.

The redhead demon, who's name was Trish, practically shoved a paper into Riley's face. It was a drawing of some sort of pendant. Riley furrowed her brows slightly as she looked at the picture. She couldn't understand why it looked so familiar.

"Where is this?" Trish asked, clearly in no mood to play games.

Riley shrugged, "I don't know. I don't have anything like that," she told them. She honestly didn't. She remembered seeing it somewhere before but it was such a long time ago. It was a rusty off-gold color. It looked very old and had little cuts in it that reminded her of a pizza.

Riley's cellphone, which was no longer resting in her back pocket began to vibrate on the small coffee table where the blonde demon was resting his feet. He rolled his eyes and picked it up from the table and strode over to Riley. He passed the phone to Trish, "it's the fourth time that her hunter friends called. It's only a matter of time before one of them barges through the front door," he told the redhead, clearly annoyed.

"At least I have people who care about me," Riley quipped at him. His eyes flared and he pulled out his knife and pressed it against Riley's throat.

"So here's how this is gonna go," blondie said. "You're gonna tell whoever it is that's on the other line that you are fine and working another case a few towns over. If you say anything I don't like, I will slit your throat and whoever you're talking to. Got it?"

Riley pursed her lips tight with anger and agreed, "fine."

Trish answered the call, putting it on speaker and placing it closer to Riley so she could speak.

"Hello," Riley answered, trying to sound casual as possible. You know, not being tied up in some creepy farmhouse being held hostage by two psycho demons that were looking for some weird ass pendant she didn't have.

_"Riley! Jesus Christ, answer your phone when we call you. Look, that wasn't me who called you earlier, okay?" _Jackson's voice rang through the earpiece.

Riley let out a cynical chuckle. _Of course it wasn't you._ "Yeah, I kinda figured that. You're okay though, right?" She asked worriedly. No matter what, she would always be worried for that kid.

She heard Jackson scoff, _"dude, I'm fine. Where are you?" _He asked suspiciously. Riley was praying to whoever was listening that Ash was trying to trace the call or something. Hopefully they would figure out that she's in trouble before it's too late.

She glanced back at the female demon who quirked a brow, "uh, well, I'm gonna work another case..." She said cooly, not exactly answering his question.

_"Great. I have a case for us."_

The blade was pushed deeper into her neck and grazed it slightly. Riley groaned in pain and it didn't go unnoticed by Jackson, _"Riley? You okay over there?"_

"Just _peachy_," Riley answered sarcastically. She saw the faces of the demons and fumbled her words for an excuse, "um, just stubbed my toe. You know how that is...heh..."

_"Yeah..."_ Jackson didn't sound convinced.

"Well, I'll call you later, Jackson." Riley said and Trish hung up the phone before waiting for Jackson's reply. She got up from the floor and walked into the one of the other rooms in the house. Riley glanced at the other demon who had removed the knife away from her neck.

"Where's the pendant?" He asked impatiently.

Riley huffed in annoyance, "I don't—" before she could finish her sentence, the demon swung his fist into her face and everything went dark.

* * *

"Got'er," Ash exclaimed, disconnecting Jackson's cellphone from his laptop. "0 Bee Camp Road, Jefferson County, Indiana."

"Okay. Great," Jackson said, getting up from his seat and making his way to the door. Before he even had the chance to reach it, Ellen called after him, "where the hell do ya think you're going, boy?" She demanded.

"I'm gonna go get Riley!"

"Not without me, you ain't," she told him determinedly.

Sam and Dean looked at the two bickering and glanced at one another, having one of their silent conversations that only they could understand. The brothers both agreed with their plan and Dean cut in. "Hey Ellen, listen, we will go with him and bring Riley home in one piece, alright?"

Ellen looked at the boys for a long moment, "no, I'm coming."

"Then so am I!" Jo said, stepping towards Jackson.

"Like hell you are!" She yelled at her daughter. It was bad enough one of her kids were in trouble. She wasn't going to put her daughter in the crossfire.

Ash watched the whole scene in front of him. "Ellen, let the boys go...Riley's a tough girl, she'll be fine. 'Sides we kinda need ya here..." He said pointing his thumb towards the bar.

Ellen glared at Ash, knowing that he was right. She turned to the three of them, "I want her home in one piece, do you understand me?" She said, voice wavering.

Sam nodded, "of course, Ellen."

Jo, Ash, and Ellen watched the three of them walk out of the bar and get into the impala and drive away, speeding down the road, similar to how John Winchester had all those years ago.

* * *

_"I'm sorry," Riley said quietly. She knew what it was like not growing up with a mother. Her mom had passed away shortly after she was born. Brian never really talked about her, only a few times had she heard anything about her from him. Most of the stuff she knows about Carter was from Ellen._

_Jackson merely shrugged his shoulders and gave her a smile, "it's okay. It was a long time ago."_

_"My mom died too. When I was a baby," she told Jackson._

_"So you don't remember anything about her either?" He asked with wide, curious eyes._

_She shook her head, "nope."_

_"A demon possessed my mom when I was about eight years old, she tried to kill me and my dad, but another hunter stopped her from doing it," he said, looking at Riley. "When they got the demon outta her, she was already dead."_

_"Do you remember the night it happened?" Riley asked, fearing to know the answer. No eight year old should have that kind memory of their mother. Especially their last memory._

_He shrugged his shoulders again. Riley noticed he did that a lot. "A little. I fell down the stairs and hit my head, so it's pretty foggy."_

_Riley could only nod her head. After another minute of awkward silence she looked at the thirteen-year old, "do you want to be a hunter too?" She asked._

_He smiled and nodded his head, "I wanna save people just like the man who saved me and my dad."_

_She smiled at Jackson, "well, once I know what the hell I'm doing, I'll teach ya everything I know."_

_He returned the smile._

* * *

When Riley woke up again, her mission was to get her knife from her boot and cut the ropes that tied her hands to the radiator. She noticed that the two demons were no where to be seen. Although, she heard shuffling outside; probably going through her truck to find the stupid pendant she didn't even have.

Without trying to move her left leg, because it hurt too much to do so, she bent her right leg so she was now almost on her knees. Riley shuffled and squirmed around for several minutes before successfully grabbing the knife and she started to work on her bonds.

She heard the roar of an engine and she paused, furrowing her brows. The back door swung open and the two demons walked inside, not paying attention to Riley and they both went up the stairs, each step they took made a loud squeak and it irked the hunter terribly.

Riley listened as someone began to pick the lock on the front door and she struggled to get out of the ropes. The door finally opened and a familiar face popped inside.

"Sam?" She whispered, eyes wide with surprise.

He put his finger to his lips, telling her to be quiet. She nodded her head and mouthed _upstairs_, nodding her head towards the small staircase near the kitchen. Riley noticed both Jackson and Dean follow Sam inside and Jackson rushed towards her to help cut through the ropes and get her on her feet.

She winced when she put weight on her left ankle, Jackson glanced at it and swore softly. Dean came up to Riley, "what are they?" He whispered to her, needing to know what they were up against.

"Demons. They think I have some sort of pendant," was Riley's reply. She leaned on Jackson to support herself a bit more.

Sam and Dean's eyes met and they both formulated a plan with just looking into each other's eyes. Riley always found that to be an awesome trick. She and Jo were able to do it once in a while, depending on the situation they were in.

"Alright, pain in my ass! You ready to tell us where that pendant is?" Trish yelled as she came down the stairs.

Riley looked at the three boys and noticed Sam finishing up a devils trap on the ceiling. Riley smirked at him and nodded her head with an idea.

"Okay! Fine! I'll tell you," she yelled back at the redhead. Riley watched the demon's smirk fall when she noticed the three newcomers.

"Winchesters," she snarled. "Great." She waived a hand in the air and both Jackson and Riley flew into the air and collided with the wall on the other side of the room.

"Riley!" Sam yelled when he realized that the blonde didn't move. He glanced back at the demon who had successfully walked into the trap. Both he and Dean smirked.

"What are you smiling about?" She asked angrily.

"Oh, I don't know. Why don't you see for yourself?" Dean said, as he looked up towards the ceiling. Trish followed his gaze and her eyes changed to the black orbs that if any regular person would have seen would've been running for the hills.

She screamed in annoyance and glared at Dean. "When I get my hands on you..." She started, but Dean smiled and shook his head, "you can't touch this unless you can leave that circle. And oh, you can't!" He teased.

Sam opened up his father's journal and began to read the exorcism to send this bitch back where she belongs. When he was done, he approached the redhead to check for a pulse. There wasn't any. The woman must have been dead for months now. He turned to face Riley who was in the arms of Jackson and Dean was close by.

"There's another demon..." Riley mumbled. "Upstairs..."

"Take her in the impala," Dean ordered, throwing his keys at Jackson. "Now!"

Both Sam and Dean rushed up the stairs and found a blonde young man, probably in his late twenties, confused and disoriented on the floor. Sam had tested him, saying _Christo_ and the man didn't flinch. Dean sighed and looked at his brother. _At least this guy made it out alive._

* * *

After getting out of there, Sam insisted that we dropped off the man at a hospital or a clinic to get checked out by a doctor. Jackson also pointed out that Riley should go too because the stab wound on her lower leg wouldn't stop bleeding and he was sure that a nerve or two were damaged.

Riley had slept most of the ride back to the roadhouse. She was dosed up with a bunch of pain medications from her small concussion and for her leg. It turns out Jackson had been right, Riley had damaged her tibial and sural nerves. The doctor said it would be a while before she would be back on her feet and that if the damage had been more severe, that she could have really been stuck using a crutch or cane for the rest of her life. More or less, the doctor said that she got lucky.

Jackson had called Ellen when Riley had fell asleep and told her that Riley would be fine. He was able to hear the relief in Ellen's voice after he said those words. She told him that she'd see them soon and to drive safe.

They had gotten back to the roadhouse the next morning and everyone was just plain exhausted. Ellen had hugged Riley when she saw her and yelled at her for scaring everyone like she had. Riley understood the hidden meaning behind it, _we can't lose you too._ The Harvelle family had experienced so much loss; Uncle Bill and her father. They both played large rolls in their lives and were forcibly taken away from them because of the supernatural lifestyle they were forced to live.

After everyone was settled, Ellen had sat Riley down on one of the chairs and helped her prop her leg up on another. Both Ash and Jo sat close to her. Ellen stood in front of them, while Sam, Dean, and Jackson were sitting at the next table over, still within talking distance.

"So, you wanna tell us what a'couple of demons wanted with you?" Ellen asked, brows raised.

Riley shrugged her shoulders tiredly, "they showed me a picture of some sort of pendant. For some reason they thought I had it," she said.

Sam pulled out the piece of paper that was folded up in his pocket. He unfolded it and passed it to Riley from his seat. "This?"

She smiled at him and nodded her head, "yup. It looks familiar, but I never had anything like that before." She stared at the drawing in confusion. When she looked up, Riley saw Ellen's eyes widen slightly when she caught sight of the picture. Riley frowned at her, seeing her aunt's expression. Ellen glanced at her niece and quickly covered it up, but Ellen already knew that Riley saw her face.

Jackson squinted his eyes at the drawing and then they quickly widened, "wait a second..." He pulled out a chain from underneath his shirt, revealing the very same pendant that was in the picture.

"You've gotta be kidding..." Riley breathed.

Jackson quickly took it off and placed it in Riley's hands. She looked up to him with wide eyes, "Jackson...where the hell did you get this?" She asked.

He shrugged his shoulders, "my dad gave it to me. He seemed all nervous and freaked when I went to see him. He gave me the pendant before I left and told me to protect it with my life. When I asked what it was he said that it was a type of anti-possession charm."

Sam shook his head, "no. It's definitely no anti-possession charm."

"Oh my god...is this the thing my dad gave to your dad when we first met back in Rochester like five freaking years ago?" Riley asked in realization.

"Holy shit..." Was Jackson's only response.

Jo looked between the two of them, "so what the hell is it then?"

Riley could only shake her head as she stared at the pendant, "I have no idea," she whispered softly.

Not long after did the Winchesters head out. It had been a hectic few days for them all and the boys really needed to get back on the road. Riley had pulled the boys to the side and personally thanked them both for saving her and for watching out for Jackson. She knew that if they hadn't gone with her and Jackson came on his own, that they wouldn't be standing here today. Dean had simply just nodded his head and said that it was just another day at the job, rocking his usual carefree bravado, although Riley knew he was happy to hear her thanks. He had gone to the impala to pack up the rest of his and Sam's things.

She thanked Sam once again and he had told her that he was happy she was okay. She hugged him goodbye and told him to be careful.

Later that night Riley limped into the bar that was empty except Ellen. Jo and Ash retired to their rooms a few hours earlier and Jackson went to take a shower and crash in the guest room. He had told her that it was better off if they kept the pendant in the safe down in the basement. It was warded from demons after all.

"Aunt Ellen?"

Startled, Ellen spun around to face Riley. "Yeah, honey?" She asked after she gathered herself. She knew Riley saw her expression give way earlier and now she had to explain what her daddy never could.

"What's the story with the pendant?" She asked quietly, leaning on her crutch as she looked into Ellen with her big doe-brown eyes.

"Riley..." Ellen tried, but she cut her off, "is that what got dad killed? That stupid pendant? Because seeing it now, I remember dad having it before. When I was younger, right?"

"They found you..." Ellen said softly. "Those demons didn't know about you until Gordon."

Riley felt her brows furrow, "Gordon?" She questioned, tilting her head. "What does that idiot have anything to do with this?"

"Your mom was important to the hunting world, Riley," Ellen told her. "She had something the demons wanted."

"The pendant," Riley breathed, things starting to click in her mind, "they were after the pendant?"

She watched Ellen nod her head slowly. "So they killed mom because they thought she had it," she summarized. "Killed dad because if mom was gone then he would have it." Riley shook her head, tears threatening to fall from her glassy eyes, "then that leaves me. Who didn't even know about the damn thing in the first place!"

Ellen took a few hesitant steps closer to Riley who was ready to crumble. She was in pain on both physical and emotional levels and not to mention she was confused. She had so many questions and no one to answer them. Sure, Ellen could answer some of them, but the ones she needed to ask were her parents. And her parents were dead.

"What's so important about the pendant?" Riley asked, finally gaining the strength to speak once more.

Her aunt could only shake her head. She didn't know the answer, only that whatever that pendant was held a lot of value to Carter and Brian. Ellen was sure that it would be an important object in their only daughter's life as well.

Tears finally fell and Riley broke, "my parents were murdered over a stupid friggin' pendant!" She cried. Ellen moved forward and held on to Riley, trying to calm her down by whispering that it was going to be okay and they'd figure things out. Riley could only shake her head.

She highly doubted it.

* * *

**Thoughts? I know this chapter definitely left you with A LOT of questions! But do not worry! They will all be answered in time. The only thing I'll hint to you is that it has to do with Riley's mother. ;) any guesses of what the pendant might be or why it's important? What'd you think of the flashbacks? Can I just say I cannot wait to write up chapter five! I have each chapter planned out and outlined until the end and chapter five is going to be hilarious and of course Jackson will be there. :)**

**Don't forget to leave me a review!**


	5. Couples Therapy

**A/N**: _hey everyone! So here is chapter four! This is based of the episode No Exit. It's roughly about two or three weeks after the whole demon incident give or take. I wanted to give a big thank you to those who followed, favorited, and reviewed this story! It honestly keeps me motivated to write and I am set on completing this story! Hope you enjoy the fourth chapter! _

_Also, on a sadder note, my classes are giving me a lot of work and I don't have a lot of time to write. I'm pretty sure that updates for all my stories are going to be coming super slow. But do not fear! I aim to finish this story lol! I already planned out the ending and everything! It's all gonna be okay, I promise!_

* * *

_**Chapter**_** _Four_****_: _****Couples Therapy**

Currently off duty for hunting, Riley decided to stick to her father's day-trading business until she was back on both feet. She didn't necessarily need to use her crutch anymore, but it put less weight on her ankle when she did and decided to stick with it.

Riley stood in front of the Venetian Hotel with her duffle on one shoulder. It was definitely one of the nicer hotels in Vegas and there was so much a person could do there—well, other than gamble. Her eyes landed on Rufus who was standing near the front entrance of the hotel. She glanced around the hotel once more, noticing the gondolas in the water. _Why the hell would people ride on gondolas in Vegas? _She asked herself as she hobbled towards the hunter.

"Riley," Rufus greeted the young hunter with his usual gruffness. He knew her since she was a pipsqueak and like Bobby, he had a soft spot for the girl. It was rare to see a hunter like herself. Riley was an excellent monster hunter and she held herself together. Most importantly, she didn't let the life consume her; even after all the crap she got hit with growing up.

"Heya Rufus," she said with a small smile. She watched his brows raise as he glanced at her crutch and braced ankle. She shrugged her shoulders, "you know how demons tend to get knife happy." She chuckled when his brows managed to raise higher and she pulled out a bottle of Johnny Walker Blue from her duffle and held it out in front of him. "Now, shall we chat about this hunt of yours that required my intel?" She asked with a grin growing on her face.

Rufus smirked when he saw her pull out the bottle. He was surprised she still remembered about his love for Johnny Walker Blue. It had been a while since he'd seen her. Probably just a little after her dad died. "Glad you remembered," he said as he held the door open for her to hobble inside.

Once both of them were settled in the hotel room, Riley snatched up both hers and her father's journals from her bag and put them on the small table near the window. The view from the room was quite nice, considering that they were on some of the higher floors. Rufus took a seat across from Riley and placed two small glasses on the table and poured his favorite drink. They clinked their glasses together and both went to take a swig of the Johnny Walker Blue.

"I think we have a pishtaco on our hands, Riley."

The twenty year old almost choked on her drink when she heard the elder hunter blurt out that piece of information. She looked at Rufus with wide, confused eyes, "a _pishtaco_?"

* * *

The Winchester brothers had pulled up in front of the roadhouse. The sun was shining bright and early that morning in Nebraska. Sam and Dean exited the car, both successfully slamming their doors in unison.

"Los Angeles, California," Dean said to his brother.

Sam furrowed his brows and looked at his brother from the other side of the impala. "What's in L.A.?"

"Young girl's been kidnapped by an evil cult."

"Yeah?" Sam asked, raising a brow. "Girl got a name?"

Dean nodded, "Katie Holmes."

Sam let out a dry laugh. "That's funny. And for you, so bitchy."

Before Dean can make a remark, the sound of glass crashing on the ground and the screeching voices of the Harvelles roared from the inside of the roadhouse. Dean turned to his brother, a smirk growing on his face.

"Of course, on the other hand. Cat fight."

The brothers opened the front door wearily and stepped inside slowly, as they watched Ellen and Jo go at each other, clearly oblivious to the two hunters that had stepped inside. Ellen was angrily walking away from the bar, yelling at her daughter.

"I am your mother, I don't have to be reasonable!"

"You can't keep me here!" Jo screamed back.

"Oh, don't you bet on that, sweetie," Ellen retorted with wide angry eyes.

"What are you going to do, are you going to chain me up in the basement?" Jo asked, voice raising several octaves.

Ellen spun to face Jo. "You know what, you've had worse ideas than that recently. Hey, you don't wanna stay, don't stay. Go back to school!" She told her daughter.

"I didn't belong there!" Jo yelled. "I was a freak with a knife collection!"

Ellen scoffed, "yeah, and getting yourself killed on some dusty back road, that's where you belong?!"

Ellen noticed Jo staring off behind her and she spun around only to see the Winchesters, both staring wide-eyed at the argument between mother and daughter. She let out an aggravated sigh, "guys, bad time."

Sam nodded his head understandingly, "yes, ma'am."

Dean shrugged his shoulders. "Yeah, we rarely drink before ten anyway."

Jo held out her hand to the brothers and she grabbed the case file she made and walked over to Dean. "Wait! I wanna know what they think about this."

A family had walked into the bar, clearly tourists judging by the bright yellow t-shirts that every member wore. They stopped in their tracks when Ellen yelled at Jo once more.

"I don't care what they think!"

The man, presumably the father of the child he was carrying looked at Ellen, fearful. "Are you guys open?" He asked, voice hesitant.

"No!" Jo screamed at him while Ellen had shouted, "yes!"

The father glanced at the two and they all began to back up a couple of steps until they reached the door. "We'll just...check out the Arby's down the road." They exited quickly and the roadhouse phone abruptly rang. Jo sent it a glare and then looked at her mother as if saying: _well, I'm not answering it._ Ellen returned the glare and stomped over to the phone. She picked it up with a sigh, "Harvelle's. Yeah, preacher."

"Three weeks ago a young girls disappears from a Philadelphia apartment," Jo said as she shoved the file at Dean. He looked down at it, not really sure if he should take it. Jo rolled her eyes, annoyed. "Take it, it won't bite."

Dean glanced at Ellen then back at Jo. "No, but your mom might." He watched Jo purse her lips and send him a glare. Dean took the file from her hands, reluctant. He opened it and flipped through the papers and articles that were put together inside while Sam stood and looked at the contents from over his brother's shoulder.

"And this girl wasn't the first," Jo continued. "Over the past eighty years six women have vanished. All from the Same building, all young blondes. Only happens every decade or two so cops never eyeball the pattern. So we're either dealing with one very old serial killer, or—"

"Who put this together? Ash?" Dean asked, cutting her off.

Jo smiled, proud of her work, "I did it myself."

Dean nodded his head as he glanced back down at the file and hummed. He _was_ impressed.

Sam looked at the file and shrugged his shoulders, "I gotta admit. We've hit the road for a lot less," he said to Dean. It was true. They traveled across the United States to solve cases with much less information to go on. This time, both Sam and Dean were sure that this was a case.

Ellen had already hung up the phone and walked towards the trio. "Good. You like the case so much, you take it."

Jo's eyes widened and she spun to face her mother, eyes flaring. "Mom!"

"Joanna Beth, this family has lost enough. And I won't lose you too. I just won't," she said, not leaving any room for argument.

* * *

"I feel kind of bad, snaking Jo's case," Sam said as they entered the apartment building where the disappearances have been occurring.

Dean nodded his head in agreement. He did feel bad about stealing Jo's case, but her mother didn't want her hunting and he had made himself clear to her to stay out of this life the last time they spoke to each other. He remembered when she confided in him about how she wanted to go out to hunt and Dean had told her to stay out of it. He wished so much that he and his brother could get out of this life, but his father raised them in this life and once you're in...there is no out. "Yeah, maybe she put together a good file. But could you see her out here working one of these things? I don't think so."

They both pulled out their EMF detectors and scanned the place to see if there were any ghost activity. Dean looked at Sam, "you getting anything?" He questioned and then looked back down at his own device.

Sam didn't look back at his brother, his eyes only on the EMF reader. He shook his head, "no, not yet." He waves the device over a light switch, which caused it to react and indicate that there was something there. He peered over the black goo with furrowed brows. "What's that?"

"What?" Dean asked, coming over to stand next to his brother and inspect the goo.

Sam touched the goo and brought it closer to his face to get a better look at it. "Holy crap," he breathed in realization. His brother who was also touching the black goo had realized what it was and meant. "That's ectoplasm. Well, Sam, I think I know what we're dealing with here. It's the Stay-Puff Marshmallow Man," he wisecracked, which caused Sam to roll his eyes.

"Dean, I've only seen this stuff, like twice. I mean, to make this stuff you have to be one majorly pissed off spirit." Sam told his brother, his tone serious and concerned. This wasn't your average ghost that they were dealing with. It was something a lot worse.

"All right, let's find this badass before he snags any more girls."

They both left the apartment and made their way down the hall, Sam and Dean pause when they hear voices and people approaching. They hid around the corner of the hall and listened to to voices as they got closer. Dean frowned at the feminine voice that was speaking. It sounded so familiar to him, he knew that voice. That was Jo.

"It's so convenient," Jo murmured to the landlord with a false, cheery smile on her face.

The landlord nodded his head. "Yeah, it's a great building, fixed it up real nice. All the apartments come furnished, too."

"It is so spacious. You know, my friend told me I absolutely have to come check it out, and I have to admit, she was right. You did a really good job with this place." Jo said as she glanced around the hallway.

Dean had enough and stepped out where the pair would see him. "What the hell are you doing here?" He questioned tensely.

Jo plastered a big fat smile on her face when her eyes laid on Dean. "There you are, honey," she said as she stepped next to him and hugged his waist. She looked at the landlord with the same smile, "this is my boyfriend Dean and his buddy Sam."

"Good to meetcha. Quite a gal you've got here," the landlord said to Dean.

Dean attempted to force a smile and smacked Jo's ass, "oh yeah, she's a pistol."

"So, did you already check out that apartment? The one for rent," Jo asked Dean as she looked up at him."

"Yeah. Yes. Loved it. Heh. Great flow," Dean replied stiffly.

The landlord furrowed his brows in confusion. "How'd you get in?"

Dean shrugged his shoulders. "It was open."

Jo quickly changed the subject and brought up the tenant who had previously lived in the apartment. "Now, Ed, um, when did the last tenant move out?"

The landlord didn't seem to realize the sudden topic change. Instead, he ranted on about the woman who had left without paying her rent when it was due. "Oh, about a month ago. Cut and run, too. Stick me for the rent."

Jo smiled at him, happy that she had gotten that piece of information out of him. "Well. Her loss, our gain! 'Cause if Dean-o loves it, it's good enough for me."

"Oh, sweetie," Dean said, smacking her once again. He watched Jo pull out a bundle of cash and hand it over to the landlord with a grin. His eyes widened when he heard her say, "_we'll_ take it."

* * *

Several hours of research later, Riley and Rufus were able to find information about their current monster if the week, which was a pishtaco. Riley was baffled when the elder hunter stated that was the monster killing off tourists who were staying at the hotel. She had honestly thought that the old man finally lost it. Riley even asked him if he had gone off the deep end and the reply she got was that the ship with his sanity had sailed a long time ago.

It was true. You can only stay sane for so long when living this kind of lifestyle.

Riley had dug through her father's journal to read up on the monster. He had never hunted one, but he had a friend who did. Unfortunately, Brian didn't have much knowledge of the pishtaco and how to kill them.

Since Riley was restricted due to her injury, she was left in the hotel room to do more research and hopefully find a sure fire way to kill this thing once and for all. While she was busy with that, Rufus would stakeout the hotel and hopefully get more information on its doings at the hotel.

It was discovered that the pishtaco was vulnerable to silver. Well, that's what the lore said anyway. Riley shared her knowledge with the elder hunter and he ended up hunting the thing down and killing it that same night.

_That had to be the quickest hunt of my life._

The motel room was quiet other than the dull sounds of the television that was on. Riley was sitting on one of the beds with her foot propped up on a pillow, her journal on her lap and she stared distractedly out the huge glass pane window in front of her. Rufus had taken his seat and the small table and decided to finish the Johnny Walker Blue that Riley had brought for him.

"I'm sorry I couldn't help with the hunt, Rufus."

Rufus looked up at the young woman he's known for such a long time and saw sadness in her eyes. "What're you sorry for? I'm alive, ain't I? The pishtaco is dead and now we know how to put another monster down. Just don't go get yourself killed, Riley." He said gruffly, but there was love and care in his words. That was Rufus for you.

Riley hummed and didn't say anything more. One thing she knew about Rufus was that he was a man of very few words and what few words he did speak weren't usually nice ones. He was a paranoid old drunk (like Bobby) who lived a crappy life as a hunter. But even though his life wasn't easy, he made other lives better and gave people a chance to live theirs in ignorant bliss because of the job he did. The job of being a hunter.

She looked down at her latest journal entry and read it over.

_Have you heard? There are pishtacos in Vegas. This monster in particular is similar to what would be a vampire's MO except instead of going after blood, they feed on body fat. Yes, disgusting I know. What is surprising about this type of monster is that they don't usually hunt their prey. They can get their feed just fine without killing anybody, actually a lot of monsters can, but they don't seem to care. Anyway, back to the point, this pishtaco was killing people and it needed to be put down._

_After what felt like forever, I finally figured out that they can be killed like many other creatures of the night. Silver is their weakness. Silver bullet—knife—sword—axe—whatever your weapon preference is, as long as it's silver, you can kill it. I try not to be surprised anymore but I can hardly help it. It just seems as though that everything is bound to hit the fan._

_It already feels like everything's falling apart, but I have the feeling that the real trouble has barely begun..._

Riley was going to write more, but her phone buzzed loudly on the small table next to her bed. Huffing in slight annoyance, Riley stretched her hand to reach for it and glance at the screen.

_Ash_

A small smirk crept on her lips and she flipped the phone open and placed it near her ear, "you miss me already, mullet man?"

"_You know I do. But, uh...that's not why I'm calling."_ Ash's voice sounded hesitant on the phone.

Riley's smirk disappeared into a frown, "what's going on, Ash?"

"_Jo went hunting."_

Son of a bitch.

* * *

"I'll flip you for the sofa." Jo said after her eyes roamed around the apartment complex.

It earned a scoff from Dean. He did not like the sudden turn of events at all. The thought of Ellen killing him and Sam for letting Jo hunt was racing through his mind. "Does your mother even know you're here?"

_Hell_ _no she doesn't know I'm here._ Jo wanted to laugh at the elder Winchester's question. Of course not. "Told her I was going to Vegas." She shrugged The question off and took a few steps around what was considered the living room.

"You think she's gonna buy that?" Dean asked with a brow raised. He thought over the argument he and his brother witnessed at the roadhouse on the subject of Jo hunting. Ellen was about to blow a gasket. Then all of the sudden Jo would decide to go to Vegas of all places?

Jo scoffed when she looked at Dean and noticed the incredulous expression. Did he think she was an idiot? "I'm not an idiot. I got Ash to lay a credit card trail all the way to the casinos." She shrugged her shoulders, "besides, Riley is in Vegas being the supernatural traveling salesman. Mom thinks I'm going to meet up with her after she takes care of business."

Hearing Riley's name, Sam perked up and looked at Jo with his brows raised high. He knew that Riley definitely wouldn't want her cousin hunting. He wasn't quite sure who they should be more afraid of, Ellen or Riley. Sam has called her a few days after the whole demon showdown in Indiana, getting the usual hunter replies of the "I'm fine" and "stop worrying." He found his thoughts going back to her and he wasn't sure of why.

"You know, you shouldn't lie to your mom. And you shouldn't keep this from Riley. Shouldn't be here either." Dean pointed out to Jo. Sam couldn't agree more. Jo shouldn't stick around for the case, especially that she had fit the exact description of the girls who had gone missing.

"Well, I am. So untwist your boxers and deal with it."

Sam wanted to roll his eyes at her stubbornness. "Where'd you get all that money from, anyways?" he asked, curious. Jo did hand the landlord a nice wad of cash that wouldn't be normal pay when working at the roadhouse.

"Working, at the Roadhouse."

"Hunters don't tip that well."

"Well, they aren't that good at poker, either."

The argument was abruptly cut off when Dean's cellphone rang loudly. He pulled it out of his pocket, not bothering to check who was calling and put the phone to his ear, "yeah?"

_"Is she with you?"_

_Aw hell... _"Oh, _hi_ Ellen." Dean attempted to act as if Ellen's daughter wasn't staring at him with an expression that said if you open your mouth, you die.

_"She left a note she's in Vegas to go see Riley. I don't believe it for a second."_

_Of course she wouldn't believe it...it's a load of bull. _Dean placed his hand over the speaker of the phone and looked at Jo, "I'm telling her." He said, voice full of determination. Jo's expression intensifies and from Sam's point of view it looked like they were having a mental battle of what to do.

_"Dean?"_ Ellen's voice was heard on the phone.

Dean put the phone back to his ear, "I haven't seen her." He said hurriedly. Jo smirked.

Still obviously not buying it,_ "you sure about that?"_ She asked doubtfully.

"Yeah, I'm sure."

Ellen's sigh was heard on the phone. _"Well, please. If she shows up, you'll drag her butt right back here, won't you?"_

"Absolutely."

_"Okay. Thanks, honey." _With that being said, Ellen hung up the phone. Dean shut his flip phone and threw it on the table, glaring at Jo who had the biggest shit-eating grin plastered on her face.

Sam rolled his eyes at the two from his seat he had taken near the table while Dean was on the phone. This was such a bad idea to have Jo tag along with them for the hunt. True, he felt bad that he and his brother technically did snake her case, but her mother told her that she wasn't going to hunt. There was also the fact the Dean had lied to Ellen on the phone. That wasn't going to pan out well when Ellen finds out the truth.

A knock was heard at the door, Dean and Jo both turn to Sam expectantly. Sam looked at them with a frown on his face, "what?"

"What do you mean _what_? Answer the door!" Jo said, voice full of sass. He rolled his eyes as he got up from his chair and went to unlock the door.

The door swung open to reveal the one person he hadn't expected to see. Especially Jo. Sam's brows rose up to his hairline at the sight of the blonde.

Dean rubbed the back of his neck nervously at their surprise visitor. He spared a glance at Jo and knew that they were in deep trouble.

Jo's mouth dropped when she caught eye at who was at the door. Lying to her mother was one thing, but to her cousin...there were never any secrets between them and after their last conversation about Jo hunting was ended with her declaring that she wasn't going to get into this life. The whole plan of going to see Riley in Vegas completely blew up in her face.

Her eyes were only on Jo. The fake smile was plastered on her face as she leaned more on her crutch and adjusted the duffle bag on her shoulder, "heya, Jo. How's Vegas?"

"Oh boy..." Dean muttered, barely audible to everyone in the room. This is going to be a _very_ long hunt...

* * *

It would be a lie if Sam denied there was a huge amount of tension in the apartment. He hadn't expected the other Harvelle girl to appear at the front door of their newly rented apartment. But then again, he shouldn't have been surprised. Sam noticed how deep Riley and Jo's relationship was and how much they care for each other. It reminded him of himself and Dean. The funny thing was that Riley was the younger of the two and acted like the older sibling. Another thing was that they weren't even siblings, but cousins.

He spared a glance at Riley, who was glaring at Jo while sitting on one of the chairs near the table that had the blueprints of the apartment laid across it. Leaning on the table was Jo, who was either oblivious of her cousin or just ignoring it.

"This place was built in 1924. It was originally a warehouse, converted into apartments a few months ago." Jo pointed out.

Dean stopped his pacing and looked at Jo, "Yeah? What was here before 1924?" He questioned her.

"Yeah, Jo. _What_ was there?" Riley mimicked Dean's words with a sarcastic tinge in her voice. Sam and Dean glanced at each other before turning to Riley, taking in her expression which was clearly pissed.

Jo threw Riley a look before turning go Dean. "Nothing. Empty field."

Sam sighed and looked at the trio in front of him. "So, most likely scenario, someone died bloody in the building, and now he's back and raising hell."

"I already checked. In the past eighty two years, zero violent deaths. Unless you count a janitor who slipped on a wet floor." Jo told Sam and made sure to throw a smirk at her cousin as if saying _I know what I'm doing_. She then faced Dean from the table, "would you sit down, please?" Her voice clearly annoyed.

Dean noticed Riley roll her eyes as he went to take a seat next to her at the table. He understood where she was coming from. She was scared for her family. If it was Sam he would be following her lead or probably even just drag Sam's overgrown ass outta there. He mentally pictured Riley attempting to drag Jo out of the apartment complex using her crutch and had to hold back a chuckle. Getting back to business he asked, "so, have you checked police reports, county death records—" he began but was abruptly cut off by Jo, "obituaries, mortuary reports and seven other sources." She looked at Riley, "I know what I'm doing."

That earned a snort from Riley, "no, you _don't_."

Dean looked at his brother who had felt just as uncomfortable as he had been throughout this entire conversation. "I think the jury's still out on that one." He muttered. "Could you put the knife _down_?" Dean asked tensely, it was driving him nuts with Jo constantly moving the small pocket knife between her fingers.

"Okay!" Sam called out, trying to stop the tension from escalating any further. "So, uh, it's something else, then. Maybe some kind of cursed object that brought a spirit with it."

"Well, we've got to scan the whole building. Everywhere we can get to, right?" Jo asked, looking at Dean.

"Right." Dean nodded his head and formulated a plan in his head. No way in hell was Jo leaving his sight. "So. You and me, we'll take the top two floors. Sam and Riley stick around the main floor." He said, making sure to take note of Riley's injury. She wasn't a hundred percent yet and he would be damned if he let anything happen to her either.

Jo looked mildly taken back at his statement. She did not need a babysitter. "We'd move faster if we split up," she argued.

Dean smirked, his eyes sparing a quick glance at Riley who nodded in approval. "Oh, this isn't negotiable."

It wasn't long until the two groups went their own ways. Dean and Jo heading up the stairs to the last two floors they planned to survey and Sam and Riley sticking to the main levels, making things a little easier for Riley to get around. It was an unusual, but comfortable silence that the two walked in until Sam spoke up.

"You sure you're okay on that leg?" Sam asked, glancing to his right at the short blonde who was hobbling down the hallway.

She smirked at him and shook her head, "I'm _fine_, Sam. Technically, I don't even need this anymore." She said waving her crutch up in the air slightly. Give it another week or two give or take, she should fully be back on her feet. _Hopefully_.

"So...can I ask how you found out about Jo hunting?" Sam asked her, slightly hesitant. He wasn't sure if it was the right thing to ask, because he knew that Riley was not a happy camper when he answered the door a little while ago. She had every right to be upset, her cousin was out _hunting_—keeping it a _secret_ that she was out hunting. Riley was protective of what she considered hers. Sam had to admire that.

"Can I ask you why neither of you dumbos didn't call me or Aunt Ellen to let us know that Jo, genius cousin of mine was out hunting?" She questioned back. The silence hung in the air for a few minutes as they walked through the halls. Sam wasn't quite sure how to respond. Ellen did call but Dean lied saying that Jo wasn't here...then there was also the blowout between mother and daughter at the roadhouse that Riley probably didn't have a clue about.

"Well...uh...we went to the roadhouse yesterday and we kinda walked in on Jo and Ellen in the middle of a heated argument on whether or not Jo should be hunting." Sam said slowly. "Jo had put together a case file—this case that we are working; Ellen told us to take the case because Jo wasn't hunting and she was already here when we got to the apartment."

"At least you two are here with her...it's a hell of a lot better than her going on her own," Riley said softly. Sam noticed her expression and she seemed almost hurt.

Sam was right. Riley _was_ hurt. She couldn't understand why Jo wouldn't come talk to her about something like this. Hell, she couldn't believe it when Ash called her while she was in Vegas informing her that Jo was out on a hunt. _Why wouldn't she tell me?_ They considered each other as sisters not cousins...why was Jo keeping this from her? What really baffled Riley was not too long ago, Jo had told her that she _wasn't_ going to hunt. What the hell changed?

She didn't know.

Riley knew that if Jo was dead set on hunting that she would teach her herself. It was funny because Jo was the older one and yet Riley would be her mentor and teach her everything she knows about hunting. Ellen had always cracked the joke that Riley should have been the older of the two, she was more mature than Jo...well, sometimes.

In fact, Riley would love Jo to be standing on her side on a hunt. She loved that girl to pieces and knowing that they have each other's backs on a hunt made Riley want to smile. But then she thought about all the downsides of hunting: like dying. Riley wouldn't be able to forgive herself or even look her aunt in the eye of Jo died on her watch. She lost her father...that pain was enough.

It wasn't long until the four of them regrouped back at the apartment, Jo and Dean sharing the piece of information they found—well information that _Jo_ found anyway. Apparently, the ghost that was haunting the joint liked to keep souvenirs and by souvenirs, Dean meant the clumps of blonde hair that was ripped from the victims' skull.

Jo's triumphant victory smirk didn't last long when her eyes met with Riley's. She looked pissed and maybe even a little afraid. She felt the smile die down and her lips slowly pursed to a thin line. She was going to prove to Dean, Riley, and even her mother that she was perfectly capable of hunting like everyone else.

* * *

Early the next morning, the sun barely reflected through the window. Sam let out a yawn on the love seat and stretched his overgrown limbs. He glanced at his older brother who had his cheek pressed against the leather recliner in what looked like the most uncomfortable position. Sam grimaced and noticed the slight drool that hung off Dean's lips.

Sam closed his eyes, leaning forward placing his elbows on his knees and attempted to wipe the sleep off his face with his hand. He felt the couch sink in a little further and heard a slight "oof" to his right. Not moving his elbows off his knees, he glanced to the side and saw Riley smirking at him.

"Sleep well?" She asked him. Smirk still evident on her lips.

Sam's brows rose high. Both he and Dean weren't all too happy with the sleeping arrangements Jo had made for everyone last night—that she and Riley would take the bedroom—the _only_ bedroom in the complex and Sam and Dean got the couches in the living room. Sam scoffed, "like a _baby_," sarcasm dripping through his words. "How was the _bed_?"

"Oh, you mean the _floor_?" She corrected him, using the same tone of voice as he previously had. "If your idea of sleeping like a baby means horribly uncomfortable, then I _definitely_ slept like a baby." The smirk returned and she leaned back against the couch, crossing her arms in front of her chest and propping her gimp leg on the coffee table.

Sam stared at her, not believing that Riley said she spent the night on the hard wooden floors. "The floor?" He asked, baffled. "There's a _king-size_ bed in there," Sam stated the obvious. He saw the bed earlier, it looked like a nice, comfortable bed. Definitely something the low-grade motels they stayed at had. The only thing Sam and Dean looked forward to were the squeaky old mattresses and the odd stains on the comforters that leave them guessing what the hell could have caused it.

Riley shrugged her shoulders. "Yeah, I _noticed_. But since Jo is older, she called dibs on the bed. I honestly didn't have the strength to argue with her and wouldn't dare to share because that girl kicks like a damn horse in her sleep," she pointed out. "So it was either the floor or the window and I got a thing with heights so...floor it was."

Instantly feeling bad for being snappy with her, Sam replied, "why didn't you tell me? I would've gave you the couch. Had to be better than the floor." He watched Riley's lips tug at the corners and her eyes met with his. She placed her hand on his shoulder, "because first off, I'm not supposed to be here. Technically I'm supposed to be in Vegas—hitting up the slot machines right about now. But Ash called and told me about Jo and no way in hell was I going to let her do that alone. I didn't know you guys were here until you opened the front door. And you guys are still here, even though you could've left me to handle this with Jo." She told him honestly.

"So...I guess I didn't tell you because after everything you did, I wasn't going to kick you off the couch because I wanted my four hours on something that was probably just as comfortable as the wooden floor," Riley said, making a face as she removed her hand off Sam's shoulder and stretched her back.

When Sam didn't say anything, Riley mentally scolded herself for making this conversation awkward. He rubbed her neck uncomfortably and made a slight "heh" sound. Clearing her throat, Riley spoke up, "sorry, I ramble in the morning. I need some coffee."

Sam stared at Riley for a long silent moment. Not saying anything, Sam jumped off the couch and held out his hand for Riley to take. Her brows furrowed at it and she looked up at him confused. Seeing the utter confusion on her face caused Sam to smirk. He wiggled his fingers in a _come on_ motion, "you said you need some coffee, well so do I. So let's go get some." He told her.

Riley smiled up at him, dropping her leg to the floor and raised her hand into his, letting him pull her off the couch. To both their surprise, Riley stumbled forward, not exactly on balance because of her bad leg that the demon had stabbed a few weeks ago. Sam caught her and helped her hold her balance. Both of their faces had come close to each other, barely inches apart. Riley stared into the deep green orbs of the younger Winchester and swallowed hard, finding it hard to breathe. Unknown to her, Sam found himself staring deeply into Riley's doe-brown eyes. There was this odd feeling that he hadn't felt in a long time—a feeling he thought he'd never feel again since...

He liked Riley. She had this spunk to her that stuck out to him some how. He found it amazing how she seemed so innocent even after everything she's seen. Sam knew that behind his hazel green eyes there is something that can tell others that he had seen some terrible things in his life. And he has. Growing up fighting monsters, dealing with his father, watching his girlfriend die the same way his mother had: burning on the ceiling. He knew Riley had her fair share of terrible memories, but when he looked in her eyes, he didn't see it.

A small part of him wanted to lean forward and close the distance between them, but he quickly stopped himself and pulled away, making sure Riley could stand on her two feet...well, one and a half feet he guessed. Clearing his throat awkwardly, he asked, "you good?"

Riley smirked, "I will be once I get my coffee. Two creams, three sugars."

Sam barked out a laugh as he grabbed the keys off the table and checked his pocket for his wallet. He put his hand on Riley's shoulder and guided her to the door, "you don't take your coffee black?" He asked, surprised.

Riley simply scoffed, "no! I don't know how people can drink coffee black. It tastes like ass!"

Barely a few minutes after the couple left, Dean shifted uncomfortably on the recliner. The first sounds he heard were the sirens that blared loudly. _Ugh, what now?_ Groaning, he opened his eyes and craned his stiff neck to see Jo sitting on the table, twirling her knife and looking over the blueprints and notes of the building.

Jo smirked at Dean. "Morning, _princess,_" she roused.

Rolling his eyes at her greeting, Dean asked, "where's Sam?"

"Getting coffee with Riley."

He slowly pulled himself forward, grimacing as he felt all the kinks throughout his body. Never again will he sleep on this recliner. Sam's large ass could have it. "_Ugh_..." Dean groaned, feeling the pain in his lower back. "My back..." He placed his hands on his lower back and attempted to stretch. He saw Jo's smirk and grew annoyed, "how'd you and Riley sleep on that big, _soft_ bed?" Dean asked, similar to Sam, his voice dripping with sarcasm.

Jo looked at him, "I didn't. Just been going over everything." True, Jo didn't get much sleep last night. But she had sat in that big and soft king-size bed with all her research laid out in front of her. Jo was determined to solve this case on her own. She was going to prove it to everyone that she was just as capable as every other hunter. "And Riley slept on the floor," she pointed out.

Dean scoffed, "dude, your cousin got stabbed not even three weeks ago and you won't even share the bed?" He asked incredulously.

Jo raised a brow and she looked unimpressed, "I'm older. I get the bed." She stated as if it was the law. When Dean's expression didn't change, Jo huffed and spoke again, "come on, Dean! You can't tell me you never pulled the _I'm older than you_ card on Sam to get what you want."

Dean made a slight face. He does do that to Sam...all the time. Jo's smirk returned when she realized she had won the argument and turned back to playing with her father's pocket knife and read over the papers for what seemed like the millionth time.

The elder Winchester watched Jo for a silent moment and approached the table with his duffle that was full of different weapons. Placing it on the table, Dean opened it and went through it, ruffling everything around loudly. Jo watched with her brows raised, slightly curious as to what the hell he was doing. She watched Dean pull out what she could assume was a Bowie knife and he unsnapped it from the sheath and handed it to her, hilt first. "Here."

Eyebrows still raised, "what's _this_ for?" She asked, confused.

"Work a hell of a lot better than that little _pig-sticker_ you're twirling around."

Jo pursed her lips slightly and takes the Bowie, she then grabbed her father's knife and placed it in his hand. Dean pulled it closer to him to observe the small knife and notices the three engraved letters: _W.A.H._ on the hilt. He immediately felt bad for what he did because he understood what this knife was now.

"William Anthony Harvelle."

"I'm sorry. My mistake." Dean said, taking his knife back and placing it back in the weapons bag. He understood the meaning of the knife to Jo. It was a part of her father. He looked down at Jo and noticed her staring at him oddly. The question she asked him next caught him off guard.

"What do you.. what do you remember about your dad?" She asked him, her voice so quiet. "I mean, what's the first thing that pops into your head?"

Dean shook his head. Unsure if he wants to answer that question. His father's death was still fresh in his mind and no way did he want to open up those emotions. The same emotions Dean had been trying to keep the lid on. The topic of his father was not one to really be brought up in conversation.

"Come on, tell me."

Dean looked at Jo again and saw the pleading in her eyes. Letting out a sigh, Dean sat down across from her. "I was six or seven, and uh, he took me shooting for the first time. You know, balls on a fence, that kind of thing." Dean suddenly got this soft smile as he stared off in the distance, reliving that small memory in his mind. "I bulls-eyed every one of 'em. He gave me this smile, like... I don't know." He looked down, slightly embarrassed.

Jo saw it. Letting a small smile tug on her lips, she replied, "he must have been proud."

"What about your dad?"

Jo was eyeing her father's knife on the table. Running her fingers across the engraved letters on the hilt, she spoke, "I was still in pigtails when my dad died, but I remember him coming home from a hunt. He'd burst through that door with my uncle like, like Steve McQueen or something. And he'd sweep me up in his arms, and I'd breathe in that old leather jacket of his." Jo remembered those moments like it happened yesterday. He and her uncle would come home after another successful hunt. Uncle Bryan would head straight for Riley and Jo waited for her father to engulf her in a hug. "And my mom, who was sour and pissed from the minute he left, she started smiling again. And we were...we were a family." Jo swallowed and leaned forward in her seat, looking at Dean in the eye. "You wanna know why I want to do the job? For _him_. It's my way of being close to him. Now tell me what's wrong with _that_?"

"Nothing."

Before Dean could say anything else, the front door busted open and in rushed Sam and Riley. Sam had his arm draped around Riley's shoulder, as if he was keeping her standing. One thing Dean was looking forward to was a nice cup of black coffee since the moment Jo told him. He noticed right away that there was no coffee tray with no coffee.

"Where's the coffee?"

"There are cops outside." Sam said.

"Another girl disappeared." Riley stated glumly, her worried eyes meeting with Jo, who only rolled her eyes at her. Riley was scared because she knew why Jo was doing this. To prove a point. Well, this point that she's trying to prove is going to end up getting her killed and Riley isn't going to have it.

* * *

Riley stared at Jo from her seat across the table. Sam and Dean had gone to investigate the new missing girl's apartment for any clues that can help them solve this case. Riley felt the panic and anxiety rise, her stomach twist in knots. She was scared for Jo. Out of all the times the girl chooses to hunt...she picks the one time Riley is down for the count.

So deep in thought, Riley didn't realize Jo noticed her intense staring until Jo clapped her hands in front of her face. Startled, Riley jumped back slightly and glared at Jo.

"Why don't you take a picture? It'll last longer."

"I know what you're doing, Jo."

"Oh yeah? What is it that you think I'm doing, Riley?" Jo asked heatedly.

"Trying to prove a point," Riley said softly. She didn't want to fight with her cousin. Jo's eyes widened slightly. "I'm your cousin, idiot," she said with a small smirk. When Jo's expression didn't change Riley let out a sigh, "Jo—" Riley tried to explain that she didn't have to prove anything to anyone, but was abruptly cut off when Jo jumped out of her chair, knocking it to the floor, "why is it okay for you to do this but I can't?! Huh?" Her voice rising several octaves. "Mom has no problem with you throwing yourself into the wolves! But me? She treats me like I'm some _porcelain doll_! Like I'll _break_! I'm just as capable as you are! I'm not doing this for fun! I'm doing this—"

"For your dad." Riley finished quietly. She looked at her cousin who was out of her seat pacing near the table. Jo glanced at Riley and scoffed at the sad expression that was on her face.

"Damn right I'm doing this for my dad," Jo huffed out angrily.

Riley swallowed and squeezed the edge of the table that she grabbed onto, "this is dangerous, Jo..."

"You think I don't know that?" Jo yelled. "My father _died_ on a hunt! I lost him _because_ of the hunt!" She sneered, "I think I know that hunting is _dangerous_, Riley." She spat. "Do _you_?"

Riley slowly pushed herself out of her chair. She placed both hands on the corners of the small table as she leaned forward, trying to keep her balance. When she raised her eyes to meet with Jo, they were full of unshed tears. "In case you've _forgotten_, Jo. My dad died too." Riley's voice was different. It sounded dark and full of pain. It was definitely a side Jo had never seen before and it honestly scared her. "I was _there_. I _found_ him. And he took his last breath _in my arms_. _Both_ of my parents are dead because of some pendant," she said lowly. Riley's voice suddenly rose, "hell, I nearly died because of the damn thing!" She huffed and shook her head ruefully. "After all the things I've seen and been through...I'd say _yeah_, Jo. I know hunting is dangerous. I've seen it with my own two eyes."

Jo didn't say anything. Losing her fire and becoming a little chagrined, she stopped pacing and stared nervously at her cousin. Riley's shoulders were shaking slightly. Just as Jo was going to say something, the door opened revealing Sam and Dean who slowly walked inside.

It wasn't hard to tell that there had been a heated argument between the Harvelle girls. Sam and Dean glanced at the now fallen chair, Jo's flushed cheeks from shouting, and Riley's broken expression.

Riley sent a hooded glance in the boys' direction. Clearing her throat, "what do ya got?" Her voice sounding gravelly. Sam noticed how her hands squeezed the edges of the table so tight that her knuckles turned white.

"Teresa Ellis, Apartment 2F. Boyfriend reported her missing around dawn," Dean replied a bit cautious.

"And her apartment?" Jo asked, her eyes never leaving her cousin.

"Cracks all over the plaster, walls, ceiling. There was ectoplasm, too." Sam responded, a frown forming on his face at the scene in front of him.

"Well, between that and that tuft of hair I'd say this sucker's coming from the walls." Riley stated as she stared at the notes in front of her. Forcing her mind to push the conversation between her and Jo to the back of her mind.

"But who is it?" Dean asked. "Building's history is totally clean."

Jo frowned as her eyes glanced on a photo that was on the table near Riley. Taking a few steps towards it, she picked it up and got a closer look. "Well, maybe we're looking in the wrong place."

Dean furrowed his brows. "What do you mean?"

"Check this out."

Sam leaned forward and looked at the photo. It was just an empty field. What the hell does this have to do with solving the case? "An empty field?"

"It's where this building was built. Take a look at the one next door. The windows." Jo pointed out.

Sam's eyes widened in realization. "Bars."

Dean looked between the two in shock. "We're next door to a prison?" He asked incredulously.

Riley let out a sigh, "Jo, call Ash. See what he can find about a prison being on the land." She ordered. Pushing herself away from the table, the three watched Riley hobble to her duffle and head towards the bathroom and closing the door quietly.

Jo swallowed deeply and felt guilt rise up in her of how their conversation turned out. She knew Riley was just looking out for her, but they need to understand that she isn't a baby that needs protecting. She was going to prove it to Riley. She pulled her phone out of her pocket and flipped it open to dial Ash. She glanced up at Sam and Dean who were staring at her, confused.

"What?" Jo asked heatedly. She felt both angry and annoyed at the boys' gazes. It didn't take a scientist to figure out what happened while they were out. Jo was beginning to think that maybe she had taken this whole hunting thing a little to far. She understood that Riley was only trying to protect her, but it only made Jo angrier. She should be the one protecting Riley, not the other way around. Jo wished that she could take back what she said to her cousin, especially after seeing the look on her face. Jo sometimes forgot that Riley didn't have parents. Unlike her, Riley never had the chance to grow up with a mother. She had Ellen of course, but it's not the same. Jo felt incredibly guilty. Cousins shouldn't fight.

"Nothing." Was both of their awkward and mumbled responses.

It didn't take long for Jo to threaten Ash that she would rip his balls off with pliers if he breathed a word of this to Ellen. They did get the information they needed though. Apparently there was a prison that was built on this land in 1835 and was torn down in 1963. It was said that they used to execute people by hanging them in the empty field next door.

Sam let out a sigh, glancing at the bathroom door that Riley was still in. "Well then...we need a list. All the people executed there."

Jo nodded her head, "Ash is already on it." She said numbly.

Fifteen minutes later, Sam's laptop pinged, notifying him of the email that Ash had sent over. Riley came out of the bathroom freshly showered. Her dirty blonde hair thrown into a high bun, she changed into a plain black v-neck and a pair of light blue jeans. Not once did she make eye contact with Jo and it was unsettling.

Riley plopped in the empty seat next to Sam and scanned over the long list of names that could be their ghost. She turned her head to Sam when he scoffed, "a hundred and fifty seven names?" He asked incredulously. Riley closed her eyes and groaned. This case was never ending. They have barely gotten anywhere with this.

Dean looked at his brother, "we've _gotta_ narrow that down."

"Oh _yeah_," Riley agreed.

"Or else we're gonna be digging up a hell of a lot of stiffs." Dean pointed out grimly.

Riley nodded her head in agreement with Dean. She grimaced at the thought. One hundred and fifty seven possible people... It could be any one of them. She watched as Sam scrolled down the long list of names and noticed Sam stop and narrow is eyes at one of the names. She raised her brow and turned to Sam, "Sam?"

"Herman Webster Mudgett?"

"Yeah?" Jo questioned.

"Wasn't that H. H. Holmes' real name?"

Riley's jaw dropped in realization. She heard the story of the famous H. H. Holmes. She was two seconds away from smacking Jo for even putting this case file together in the first place.

"You've gotta be kidding me?" Dean asked, baffled.

"You're joking." Riley said.

Dean leaned forward and read over the information this was displayed on Sam's laptop. Sighing, Dean nodded his head and spoke, "Yep. Holmes was executed at Moyamensing, May seventh, eighteen ninety six."

"H. H. Holmes himself. Come on, I mean, what are the odds?" Sam asked looking at his brother.

Jo, who was completely lost in conversation, asked, "who is this guy?"

Dean looked at Jo, "the term 'multi-murderer', they coined it to describe Holmes." He explained. "He was America's first serial killer—before anybody knew what a serial killer was."

"Yeah," Sam agreed, "he confessed to twenty seven murders, but some put the death toll at over a hundred."

"And his victim flavor of choice? Pretty petite blondes. He, uh, he used chloroform to kill 'em." Dean paused and his eyes grew wider in realization. He looked up at the trio, "Which is what I smelled in the hallway last night. At his place, cops found human remains, bone fragments, and long locks of bloody blonde hair."

Riley let out a scoff and shook her head at Jo. "Damn it, Jo..." She cursed quietly. Jo swallowed thickly and chanced to look her cousin's way. "You really know how to pick 'em. I mean, the ghost that goes after victims that fit your exact profile—" she cut herself off and pointed a finger at her own face, "_our_ exact profile! _Blondes_!" Riley looked up at the ceiling, "shoulda went brunette while I was in Vegas..." She muttered under her breath.

Jo felt a little panic rising in her stomach. It was bad enough that she fit the profile, but so did Riley. And let's be honest, Riley isn't exactly up to hunting the serial killing ghost. "Well, we just find the bones!" She pointed out, growing desperate. "Salt 'em and burn 'em, right?"

"Well, it's not that easy," Sam cut in. "His body is buried in town, but it's encased in a couple tons of concrete."

"What?" Riley groaned, dropping her head into her hands while Jo jumped out of her chair, "why?" She questioned with wide eyes.

Dean sighed. "The story goes that he didn't want anybody mutilating his corpse. 'Cause, you know, that's what he used to do."

"You know somethin'. We might have an even bigger problem than that," Sam said, looking at his brother.

"How does this get bigger?" Jo asked, not sure if she really wanted to know the answer.

"Holmes built an apartment building in Chicago," Sam stated. "He called it the Murder Castle. The whole place was a death factory, they had, uh, trap doors, acid vats, quick line pits...he built these secret chambers inside the walls. He'd lock his victims in, keep them alive for days. Some he'd suffocate, others he'd let starve to death."

Both Riley and Jo grimaced at the depiction. It was a brutal and torturous death. When Jo heard Sam say that Holmes kept his victims alive for days, hope immediately sparked within her. Maybe there's a chance that the latest victim could still be alive in these chambers somewhere. "So Teresa could still be alive? She could be inside these walls!"

Dean nodded his head in agreement. No one else was going to fall victim to this ghost. "We need sledgehammers, crowbars. We've got to smash these walls, anywhere thick enough to hide a girl," he said determinedly.

* * *

_He's got Jo._

Those three simple words made Riley's heart sink. She wanted to laugh at the irony of the entire situation. Joanna Beth was going to get killed on her very first hunt. Then Riley would bring her back and kill her again. Then Ellen would come and bring her back and kill both of them. Riley grimaced at that thought. _Ellen_. Crap.

Sam glanced at Riley who was sitting on the couch staring out the window with a wide-eyed, terrified expression on her face. He looked at his brother who was also staring at Riley, guilt written in his features. Sam knew that Dean blamed himself for Jo getting caught. But, he was sure as hell determined to get Jo and that other girl outta there and kill this ghost once and for all.

"Look," Sam said, grabbing Dean and Riley's attention. "We've just gotta take a beat and think about this. Maybe we got Holmes' M.O. wrong."

"Sam, I don't think Jo and Teresa can afford for us to be taking a beat to think about this...we need to find them." Riley said, worry evident in her voice.

"Yeah, well, we'd better friggin' think fast." Dean stated. His phone rang suddenly, starling the three of them. With a huff, he pulled it out, not bothering to check the caller ID, "yeah?"

_"You lied to me. She's there."_ Ellen's voice echoed on the earpiece.

Dean swallowed his nerves. This was just perfect timing! "Ellen," he greeted, his eyes staring at Riley with a _what the hell do I say? _look.

_"No—Ash told me everything. Man's a genius, but he folds like a cheap suit. Now you put my damn daughter on the phone, hell put my niece on. She's got an asswhoopin' waiting for her too when she gets back."_

"Well—" Dean looked around the room, trying to come up with an excuse. "Jo can't talk right now...but, uh..." He fumbled for words until his eyes landed on Riley. "Riley's here!" He exclaimed. He noticed the blonde's eyes go wide and she sook her head like a wet dog would.

"No! Dean! Shut up!" Riley whispered harshly.

_"Put her on,"_ Ellen growled.

Dean practically threw the phone at Riley. Her face hardened as she glared at the elder Winchester. Placing her hand on the speaker, she leaned toward Dean, "I think you fear the wrong Harvelle, Dean..." She said lowly. "Aunt Ellen is bad, but I am _so_ much worse."

Sam barely managed not to laugh at the look on Dean's face after Riley said that. He believed it too. Riley could definitely kick ass. He watched her plaster that fake smile on her face as she placed the phone against her ear, "hi, Aunt Ellen!" The false cheer in her voice made both Winchesters cringe.

The small dropped when Riley jumped off the couch, "you're _what_?!" She screeched. "No the ghost didn't—yeah, it did take her. But we are figuring out a way to get her back!" Riley exclaimed.

Dean approached Riley and took the phone out of her hand, "Ellen, we are going to get Jo back, she'll be okay. I promise."

_"You promise!"_ Ellen repeated. _"That is not the first time I've heard that from a Winchester!"_

Dean's forehead wrinkled in confusion. What was _that_ supposed to mean? "What?"

_"If anything happens to her or to Riley..."_ Ellen started.

"It won't. I won't let it. Ellen, I'm sorry, I really am."

_"I'm taking the first flight out. I'll be there in a few hours." _Before Dean could say anything else, Ellen hung up the phone.

"Damn it!" Dean yelled.

"Don't beat yourself up, Dean. There's nothing you could have done." Sam stated softly.

"Just tell me you got something, guys...anything," Riley said looking at the two brothers desperately.

"Uh, maybe. Look. You look at the layout of the Holmes murder castle, there's all the torture chambers inside the walls, right?" Sam asked them.

"Right," both Riley and Dean agreed.

"But there's one we haven't considered yet," Sam pointed out. "The one in this basement."

Dean looked at his brother incredulously. "This building doesn't have a basement."

"You're right, it doesn't. But I just noticed this. Beneath the foundation, it looks like part of an old sewer system that hasn't been used for—" Sam started but was caught off by Dean telling both of them to go. They grabbed their jackets and weapons and headed out the door with Riley waddling behind.

_We're coming, Jo._

* * *

"I cant go in," Riley stated as the three of them stared down into the darkness of the sewer. The three of them had spent a good hour wandering outside the apartment building with a metal detector in hand to find an entrance to the sewer. When neither of the boys responded, she tore her gaze away from the creepy ass looking hole in the ground and looked at the Winchester brothers.

Both Sam and Dean shared their signature glances at each other. It was strange because most people wouldn't be able to understand what the other was saying, but their eyes spoke volumes that the other understood. Riley had understood them completely because like Sam and Dean, she and Jo would be able to hold an entire conversation with just a bat of an eye. It was interesting to watch another pair of people do the same.

Sam blew out a sigh, "we know." It was difficult as is with Riley down for the count because of her injury. Although he was grateful that the demon decided to stab her leg instead of her chest. Why it chose her leg was beyond him. One couldn't really question why demons did the things they did. They are just crazy, sadistic souls who spent too much time in hell.

"Promise me you'll bring her back in one piece," Riley pleaded with them. Dean saw the look of desperation in the blonde's face and he understood the fear of losing someone you love. He was still grieving the loss of his father, (not quite well, to put it lightly) still harboring the secret of his father's last words at the hospital. It was a secret he so desperately wished he didn't have to carry on his own, but he didn't have a choice. His brother's life was on the line.

Dean nodded his head, "We are coming back with Jo, Riley." His determined eyes searched hers as he spoke, "I'm gonna save her. That's our job, we save everyone." Dean's voice was thick of emotion and for a split second, Riley wasn't sure if he was talking about her cousin anymore. Nonetheless, she nodded her head and tried not to let the tears clouding her vision fall.

Riley watched Sam carefully climb down the ladder that led into the sewer ducts. Her eyes met with his and he gave her a slight smile before his head sunk below the ground and she could no longer see him from her spot on the sidewalk. Dean caught her gaze and nodded his head before climbing down, following his brother and to save her cousin.

It felt like hours had gone by that Riley had waited for the Winchesters to bring Jo back to her. Restless thoughts raced through her mind: _What if she's already dead? What would I do if Jo died? What if I could've done something that would have saved her but didn't? _She shuttered a breathe and her heart dropped at the question that popped into her head: _What do I tell Aunt Ellen?_ To tell a mother that she lost a daughter…the conversation played out in her mind and she cursed herself for watching that dumb Lifetime movie with Ash that one time. (They were both incredibly drunk and for whatever reason, decided to binge on the roadhouse pretzels and beer and watch a Lifetime movie.) They had spent hours afterwards reenacting scenes from the movie and went into hysterics with their horrible acting.

Back to all seriousness: Riley did not want to tell her aunt that her cousin had died on her watch. She checked her watch for what seemed to be the millionth time. It had only been twenty minutes since the boys went down. Riley plopped herself down onto what looked like a cement block and stared off into the distance. She set her mind on repeat and told herself that Sam and Dean were going to bring her back. Riley and Jo's last conversation wasn't exactly a pleasant one and no way in hell was that going to be the last conversation they would ever have. Just…no.

"Riley?" A familiar voice echoed from the hole in the ground. The blonde perked up and jumped to her feet—a little too quickly because Riley nearly face-planted on the ground before catching herself on some railing that was near the sewer. She peeked her head inside and saw Sam sticking a hand out, struggling to pull himself out. "Help me up?" He asked.

Riley wasn't exactly sure how this was going to work. It was bad enough that she wasn't exactly good on her own two feet considering her injury and Sam was down a hand and currently needed hers. She leaned over the railing and locked her good leg around it to help support herself. She bent over slightly and grabbed Sam's very large and rough hands with her own and tugged. It was a success however, Riley wasn't exactly concerned about that anymore, instead her focus was on the next person who came out of the sewer. Her hopes were quickly dying down when she saw Dean climb out instead of her cousin. _Where are you, Jo?_ She couldn't read the expression on the elder Winchester's face and it worried her to no end.

"Where is she?" Riley asked, her eyes on Dean. She watched him furrow his brows and when he gave no response, Riley spun to face Sam who was behind her. "Did you guys find her?" She felt her heart racing and felt as if oxygen wasn't being sent to her brain. Her mind was telling her that her cousin was dead.

"I'm right here, Riley." A voice that sounded like angels singing in Riley's ears spoke from behind her. It was hard to tell who got to who first, but they hugged each other in a tight embrace for a long minute. _Jesus Christ_. Riley wanted to slap the two idiots for putting her into a momentary panic. Her cousin was okay and in her arms.

"Don't _ever_ do that again," Riley muttered through her cousin's hair that had gotten tangled into her face while they hugged. Riley felt Jo nod her head and heard her promise that she wouldn't. There was a huge amount of relief for the Harvelle girls. Their previous conversation that ended off on a bad note wouldn't be their final words to each other. For a little while, Jo had actually thought that her snide remarks to her cousin would be the last thing she said. She finally understood her cousin's worries. It didn't mean that she was going to give up hunting. Jo was right, she grew up in a roadhouse that are full of hunters. Her father and uncle were hunters. Her cousin and best friend is a hunter. Jo wanted to do this, the only difference now was that she wanted her cousin on her side…and something told her that Riley wouldn't disagree.

She was right, Riley wouldn't.

The relief could only last for so long. Short after the rescue mission, after getting the other girl, Teresa to the hospital and filling up the sewer with cement with the cement truck that Dean ripped off, did Ellen arrive at the apartment. Oh and she was absolutely _pissed_. Things got really awkward during the silent car ride back to Nebraska. Dean was in the driver's seat of the impala with Ellen riding shotgun, who stared out the windshield with a fierce expression on her face. Riley sat in between Sam and Jo and sparred nervous glances at one another when Dean nervously put on the radio and Ellen abruptly turned it off, not saying a word. The little saying floated in Riley's mind: _actions speak louder than words._

It wasn't surprising that another argument sprung out between Jo and Ellen when they finally got back to the roadhouse. Ash was nowhere to be seen and Riley was surprised when Ellen asked if she could have a minute with just Jo. Her cousin spared her a nervous glance before Riley walked outside with the Winchesters. Riley grimaced and felt sorry for her cousin, who was facing the wrath of Ellen Harvelle. It wouldn't be long until she got her ass put through the ringer, but right now, she was going to thank Sam and Dean for bringing her cousin back.

Putting her hands in her back pockets, Riley leaned against her black truck that was parked next to the impala where the boys were currently standing. "Thank you both for saving Jo. I owe you so much for that."

Both Sam and Dean looked at the petite blonde in front of them. There she was with the usual hunter attire of jeans, boots and a flannel staring up at them with her big brown eyes. Sam could see that her thanks was sincere and that she really was grateful for what they did. Riley told him before that she was grateful that they decided to stick around and help Jo solve the case instead of bailing when Riley came in. He couldn't help but think of what the outcome would be if he and Dean had decided to leave. Most likely, Jo and Riley would have been Holmes next victims and they would just be that. Two more victims of some supernatural death. Sam was happy that wasn't the case.

"That's our job, Riley. We save who we can," Dean stated, his tone nonchalant but both Riley and Sam knew that his words spoke volumes. Not many people thanked hunters for what they did. Hunters are basically the silent heroes that only a very few people ever notice. So receiving thanks once in a while for putting their lives on the line was a blessing to Sam and Dean Winchester.

Riley's brows furrowed in confusion when the front door of the roadhouse bursted open and the other blonde rushed out, looking absolutely enraged. Dean looked at Sam and Riley and decided that he would approach Jo. Watching Dean walk away, Riley made a face, "ugh. I'm next."

Sam chuckled slightly. "You'll be fine, Riley." He turned to face her to ask her something else but cut himself off when he noticed her expression and intense stare at the couple that was just fifteen feet away. His brows furrowed as he looked in their direction and saw Jo smack Dean's arm away and yell at him to get off.

"Come on," Riley muttered, without thinking, she grabbed his hand and pulled him along with her a few feet closer to Jo and Dean, who was walking back to the impala but stopped when Jo said something that all three of them heard.

"Dean," Jo called out. She spun around to face him, her face held an intense expression. "It turns out my dad had a partner on his last hunt. Funny, because he usually worked with Uncle Brian but he couldn't for this case." Her eyes went past him and met with Riley, who frowned even more. She remembered the situation, but it was hazy. Riley had gotten sick and ended up in the emergency room that night. She needed her appendix removed and Brian rushed out to be with his daughter. Both she and Jo were really young so it wasn't exactly easy to remember everything either. Jo's eyes slowly laid back on Dean. "So, he asked another hunter to lend him a hand—someone he considered _family_. What a mistake that was. He screwed up and got my dad killed," She spat out angrily.

Dean shook his head in confusion, "what does that have to do with—" he tried to ask, but was abruptly cut off by Jo and the words she spoke clicked into Dean's mind on why they never knew about the Harvelles.

"It was your _father_, Dean."

It felt like all the air had disappeared when Jo said that. Riley's eyes widened and she gaped at Jo and then at Dean. That was a freaking surprise. But Riley couldn't understand why Jo was pissed at Dean. He wasn't his father, saving her life should've proved that much.

"What?" Dean breathed out in question. All three of them were surprised at the bit of information that was revealed that day. Jo's face scrunched up and she was holding her tears at bay, "Why do you think John never came back? Never told you about us?" She asked him venomously. "Because he couldn't look my mom in the eye after that, that's why!"

Riley dropped her hand from Sam's grasp and she stared at Jo with wide, shocked eyes. Why hadn't she known about any of this? Did her father know before he died? Dean looked taken aback, "Jo…"

"Just…just get out of here. Please just leave," she said, her voice broke at the end of her words. Riley looked at Sam who was staring at her with a sorry and guilty expression. She watched both Sam and Dean slowly walk back to the impala and drive off. The beautiful black classic car disappearing into the sunset. Riley looked at her cousin, who was barely holding herself together, shoulders shaking. Jo put a hand over her mouth to try and silence the sob that escaped her lips. Riley strut forward and hugged her cousin tight as she stared off where the impala drove off. One thought on her mind:

_What happens now?_

* * *

**So that was one big shit fest, eh? I apologize for this chapter to take over two months to freaking publish! I just started my first year of college and the work is a bitch! I have been working on this chapter on and off since August! And I cant even tell you guys how happy I am to finally have it posted! I hope it does all of you guys justice since I made you wait for so long! Also, LONGEST CHAPTER EVER WRITTEN WHOOP! Like I said in the author's note, things are going to be coming a bit slow for now unfortunately. But, if it makes you feel any better, I already have the ending written out. I'll give you a hint: get your tissue boxes ready because I actually cried writing it. THIS STORY WILL BE FINISHED. I PROMISE. **

**Big thanks to all my favorite, follows, and reviews! Reviews are really motivating and I love to hear from all of you so PLEASE REVIEW! Also, check out my tumblr (Link is on my profile) for updates and manias for this story and my other ones! Love you all &amp; thanks for the support! :)**


	6. Scream of a Witch

**A/N:** _So here is the long awaited chapter five! Prepare yourselves for a good laugh! I could not wait to write this chapter as I stated in previous author's notes! I managed to put this together a lot quicker than normal since I already had half the scenes written out, but this should be it for a little while until my professors calm the hell down and decide to give me a break! I thought it would be a good idea to have some bonding time with our new hunting team Riley and Co. Enjoy and don't forget to leave a review!_

* * *

_**Chapter Five**__**: **_**Scream of a Witch**

Riley put the car in park and stared at yet another dingy motel that she would be staying at during another hunt. She sighed, turning off the engine and opening the door to let herself out. She immediately spotted the blue jeep and the familiar young man with spiky dark brown hair and piercing blue eyes leaning against it. A lazy smile formed as she approached her hunting partner. "Hey Jacks."

"Hey yourself," he greeted with a nod. He took in his surroundings. The place was fairly empty and the street was awfully quiet. Camden, Indiana wasn't a town that particularly attracted tourists. Only a few hundred people actually lived in the area and stuck to themselves. It was a normal rural area that had the usual amount of death rates and crimes committed as the next town. Well, that was until six people died within a week. Apparently, it happened in pairs both a male and female. Within the last forty-eight hours that they were seen, witnesses said that they were acting strange and just not like themselves. It was odd to say the least.

"You talk to the coroner?" Riley asked Jackson. He had called with the case yesterday morning and Riley practically threw herself out the door. Riley would be lying if she said she wasn't itching for a case. It felt good to finally be back on her own two feet. She had told Jackson that she would meet him there and to see if he can get in with the coroner and get a look at the bodies in hope that maybe it could shed some light on just what the hell it was that they were dealing with over here.

He nodded his head and blew out a sigh, "yeah. Riley, I don't know what to tell ya. It gets weirder and weirder." Riley raised a brow in question and nodded her head for him to elaborate. "The coroner doesn't even know how they bit it. They just…_did_."

Riley made a face, "well…that's totally _not_ normal. I mean—aren't these guys like—oh, I don't know—too _young_ to be dying of natural causes or something?" She questioned, completely baffled at what the hell they were dealing with here.

"I would think so," Jackson quickly agreed. He pulled out a folded piece of paper from his pocket and read it out loud for Riley to hear, "Jason Freedman, twenty-one and Caroline Becket, twenty. First ones to go. Anthony Lazuli, twenty-three and Jamie Roberts, nineteen. Second couple to bite it. Then on Tuesday, Jonathan Warden, twenty-two and Tabitha Brady, eighteen." He shook his head as he folded the list back up and put it in his pocket. "I looked into them, they're clean—no felonies, nothing. They were just normal people," Jackson explained, just as confused as Riley was. "It doesn't make any sense."

"Did these people know each other?" Riley asked. She noticed Jackson pause and think for a moment. He pursed his lips and huffed, "didn't look into that yet."

"Uh huh…" Riley said, unconvinced.

"I was going to though," Jackson said, trying to cover up his mistake. It should have been one of the first things to research: if the victims were connected in any way. Did they go to the same school? Work in the same building? Eat the same bagel—anything really. Usually, there is always a connection between the victims.

"Sure you were, J" Riley agreed, sarcasm dripping in her voice and a smirk on her lips.

Jackson rolled his eyes and looked over Riley's shoulder. "Where's tweedle dum, tweedle dee?" He asked curiously.

"Inside, checking us in."

Speaking of the devil, the blonde that was also known as Jo Harvelle walked outside of the lobby of the motel, spinning the room key on her index finger. "Room seventeen. Jackson—Riley—one of you get my crap, would ya?" Jo asked as she opened the door to their room and let herself inside.

Both Riley and Jackson glanced at each other, having a staring contest at who would bring her duffle inside. Riley clapped her hand in front of Jackson's face, causing him to blink. He scoffed and shook his head, "no fair! You cheated!" He whined. Riley let out a snort as she opened her trunk, grabbing her duffle and tossing it over her shoulder. She carelessly grabbed Jo's and threw it at Jackson, who caught it making a loud "oof" as it slammed against his chest.

Riley began to walk towards the room, ready to face-plant onto a pillow. It was a very long drive with Jo in the car blasting her music and listening to her tone-deaf singing. That girl was going to make Riley go deaf one of these days.

"Hey Riley?" Jackson called out. The young hunter turned around and raised a brow. There was something different about Jackson's voice when he called her. Suspicion and concern rising, Riley answered, "yeah?"

"You haven't talked to my dad by any chance have you?" He asked nervously. The question made Riley furrow her brows in confusion. It had been a little over a month ago since she heard from Eric Hallowell. He called after the whole demon incident to make sure she was okay and to watch out for Jackson. Nothing out of the norm for Eric, anyway.

"No…I haven't. Why he hasn't checked in?" Riley asked, her brows still furrowed.

She watched Jackson slowly shake his head. "Last time I talked to him was when I went to go see him about the shifter case. You know, right before the pendant situation," he informed her. That was weird. Okay well, not that weird. Eric had a habit of not checking in for long periods of time. That was one of the reasons why he asked Riley to watch out for Jackson. Eric had his own story and demon to hunt down. The same demon that killed his wife and Jackson's mother. He never spoke about it or if he ever found a lead on the demon that destroyed his family.

Riley was going to say something, but she was cut off by Jo shouting from the door of their motel room to get their asses inside and to bring her duffle inside. She watched Jackson sigh and walk towards the motel with both his and Jo's bag in tow. As soon as they finish up the case here, she and Jackson will take a trip to the cabin and see what Mr. Hallowell has been up to.

The usual amount of bickering went on for the next several hours in room seventeen of the Camden Inn. Jackson had set out to pick up dinner from the small-town diner that was just down the road. The hunter stated that those who helped him weren't friendly in the least and most likely just wanted to boot his ass out of their town. Riley made a remark that it was just probably him that they wanted to throw out of town because he had that effect on people. That only resulted with more of their witty banter and gave Jo free entertainment while eating her burger.

A little while later, Jackson was sound asleep on one of the queen sized beds, snoring softly. Jo was sitting at the small table with her new laptop that she purchased about a week ago. She managed to make two grand off the poor saps at the roadhouse and decided to spoil herself. Now that she was hunting, she needed it to do her research. The screen gave off a blueish-white glow to the Harvelle's face as her fingers typed on the keyboard, the tapping noise echoing throughout the small motel room.

Riley was currently on the other bed, lying on her back, reading over several papers that had information on the victims. She glanced up at the ceiling and titled her head at her reflection above her. "Now, that is just what I like to wake up to in the morning. My freaking face," Riley said sarcastically. It earned a snort from her cousin and a shake of her head.

"I call it the hooker ceiling," Jo replied to her cousin. Riley pushed herself up on her elbows and stared at her cousin with raised brows. "That's disgusting, Jo." Riley remarked with a disturbed face. "I do _not_ want to think about the dirty people did on these sheets," she said while she pinched up her nose and pursed her lips.

Jo let out a chuckle and began to read over an article that was published in the early seventies. Apparently, there was a town club that the younger generation at the time was a part of. It was a big deal, which was understandable given how small the town actually was. She furrowed her brows as she read about the sudden death of Carl Quinn. _What the hell kind of name was that?_ He was one of the two people who ran the club. The other leader was a woman, Carl's wife, Adrienne was left to deal with the loss of her husband and her son Tyler who was only eight years old. He died a month before his father did. It was a heartbreaking story, actually.

Jo did more digging and found the list of the twenty people who was a part of this so called club. It didn't take long for Jo to make the connection that these victims were the children of those who was a part of this club back in the seventies. Only twelve of them had stayed in Camden. The other eight people scattered over the states and Jo found articles of their untimely deaths along with their children. For whatever reason, the deaths happen in pairs; one male and female. It sounded witchy to Jo. Maybe this club wasn't a club at all. Maybe it was some sort of cult.

"I think I know what we are dealing with, Riles," Jo said softly as she stared at her computer screen. Riley jumped off the bed and approached her cousin. She leaned her elbows against the table and read what Jo had displayed on the screen. Riley felt her eyes widen, "are we dealing with a witch out for revenge?"

Jo looked at her with a somewhat disturbed expression, "that is what I was thinking."

Riley huffed and slunk into the wooden chair across from her cousin. "Great," she muttered sarcastically. "Because witches are just _delightful_."

Jo closed her laptop and leaned back in her own chair, letting out a sigh. It had been a long day driving with Riley. Her mind kept going back to the argument with her mother before she packed up and left with her cousin. Jo had a lot of pent up anger residing inside her. Angry with her mother. Angry with the Winchesters. Angry with her cousin. Angry with herself. Riley had made the mistake of asking Jo why she blew up on Dean a few weeks ago and Jo snapped at Riley telling her to drop it.

She wasn't sure why she was angry with them, honestly. It wasn't like they knew what their father did. They didn't even know who she and her family was until they walked into the roadhouse a few months ago. So why did she want to blame them?

"Jo?" Riley called softly from her seat.

"Yeah?" She asked, pulling herself away from her thoughts. She looked at Riley who had a concerned expression on her face as she stared at her cousin intently.

"You okay?"

"Why wouldn't I be?"

"Oh, I don't know… maybe that your like a ticking time bomb waiting to go off and your emotions are going to kill us all," Riley threw out there with a shrug of her shoulders.

Jo instantly rolled her eyes. So much for putting that to the side. She sent a glare at her cousin, "Shut it, Riley." Jo snapped back. "I'm _fine_."

"And I'm Jesus Christ," Riley quickly retorted. When Jo rolled her eyes again, Riley let out a sigh. "Look, I get it, Jo. You're pissed and you have every right to be," she stated. Jo raised her brows slightly and waited for her cousin to continue. "_But_, you being mad at the world ain't gonna do us any good." Riley took a beat and when she realized Jo wasn't going to make a comment she said, "if you wanna talk, I'll be here to listen, okay? Thats what all I wanted to tell you. Don't get your panties all in a twist." Riley said with a small smirk. She pushed herself off her chair and crawled into her bed, grimacing at Jo's earlier comment about the hooker ceiling and the thoughts about what couples probably did on this very bed. She glanced at Jackson, who was in a dead sleep with his mouth wide open, ready to catch any flies. "Night Jo."

Jo wished her a goodnight and stared out the small window that was next to the table. Her mind raced through what her cousin had told her and back to the previous conversations with her mother and the Winchesters. She glanced at the cot she was stuck sleeping in that night and made note to herself that she wasn't going to get much sleep anyway.

* * *

**Twenty-four hours later.**

"Don't you freaking move!" Jackson screamed at the crazy old hag who was behind all the murders. In front of the trio was Adrienne Quinn, the woman who ran the club back in the seventies and lost her son and husband to natural causes. Thanks to Jo, they were able to put it together that the club that was being run here wasn't a club at all, but an cult that had gone mad with magic. Adrienne and Carl were teaching people black magic. It was stuff that nobody should mess with, but of course, there are always the few idiots who do it anyway. Like this one for example.

There was a small house that looked abandoned in the small town. It had apparently belonged to Adrienne and her family, but when they had asked around the town, the few people who had actually took the time to speak to them had told them that Adrienne had disappeared years ago. Deciding to go check up on the house, Jo, Riley and Jackson run into the crazy bat who was set on doing another spell. Apparently, there was another pair of people she needed to kill before she had successfully avenged her husband and son's death.

The old African American woman screeched that she and her husband had warned the group about practicing the arts of dark magic, but they didn't listen. She screamed to them that it would only result in death and it did. Adrienne had lost her family to this cult. And to avenge her husband and son, she was going to make every single one of them suffer and feel the same pain she did for all these years by killing their children with a spell. Then she would kill them too. _Crazy old witch_, Riley thought as she shook her head at the woman. Her hair was wild and went in all different directions as she screamed to the ceiling that she'd kill them all.

Jackson had enough and aimed his gun at the old bat. When he pulled the trigger to shoot, the thing jammed. _Damn it._ Riley went to grab the gun out of his hand and shoot, but like children, they fought over the gun.

"Give me the gun, J!" Riley said as she tried to tug it out of his big, rough hands.

Jackson scoffed and pulled back as if someone was stealing a toddler's stuffed bear. "No! Riley! Give it back!" He tugged on it more and they went back and forth, fighting for the gun.

"Let _go_!"

"Jackson!"

Both Adrienne and Jo stared dumbly at the couple who fought over the gun like they were in the second grade. Riley had lost her gun when she went flying across the room thanks to the witch a few minutes ago and now she really needed to end the crazy bitch.

"I don't like fighting!" Adrienne screamed. "Fighting is what got my Carl and Tyler killed! And now you wanna kill me?" Her voice rose angrily and it caused Riley and Jackson to falter.

The hag bowed her head and raised her arms and began to mutter what sounded like a spell. _Not good. _"See what you did?" Jackson yelled over the howling wind that begun as the witch chanted her spell.

"Me?" Riley said incredulously. "If you would've given me the gun this would have been done and over with!" She yelled back.

"Alli permutat anima kimota. Alli permutat anima kimota. Alli permutat anima kimota!"

_That's it._ Jo had enough of this crap. She pulled out her gun and shot the bitch in the chest. The three of them watched Adrienne smile oddly and she let loose this horrid screeching laugh that made all of them want to cover their ears. She pointed a finger at Riley and Jackson, "Have fun, children." With that being said, she dropped onto the ground, eyes open and stared blankly at the ceiling, dead.

Jackson felt the need to reassure himself and walked a couple of steps forward and nudged his foot onto Adrienne's side. He looked up at Riley and Jo, "I think she's dead."

Both Riley and Jo shared a glance before they silently walked out of the house with Jackson following behind calling for them to wait up and not leave him there with crazy pants.

* * *

The sun rays peeked through the blood red curtains of the motel room. Jackson was lying on his stomach, face planted in the pillow. He bellowed out a sigh of relief that he and the Harvelle girls had survived yet another case. He silently thanked whoever watched over them because living this life—a hunter should be grateful that they get to experience another sunrise. You never know when it would be your last. He absently thought of his mother and if she knew that when she woke up on the day she would become possessed and die, if she knew… of course he didn't mean like know how she was going to die, but did she have a feeling or something? Death was so confusing for Jackson. He hadn't experienced much of it considering how young he was when his mother died. He remembers bits and pieces of her, but it's almost like a fog. Maybe his brain was forcing him not to remember so he wouldn't see what he was missing. He didn't quite know.

_God, it's too early to be thinking such morose thoughts._ Jackson rolled onto his back and rubbed his eyes tiredly. He let out a loud yawn and frowned at the sound that came out of his mouth. _That's weird…_ He slowly opened his eyes and gawked at his reflection on the hooker ceiling.

Riley's eyes were the ones that stared back at him.

He slowly rose his hand and touched his face, trying to contain the initial shock and not to freak out. He prayed to whoever was listening that this was just some horrifying dream and not a reality. His eyes grew larger when he noticed the dark purple nail polish that had been on Riley's nails yesterday. Jo had made a comment about it while they approached Adrienne's house last night. _What the hell is happening?!_

Jackson swallowed deeply and turned his head in the direction of the other queen size bed where…

There was a loud piercing scream that escaped his lips as he stared down at his own body in the next bed over. He watched his body jump, obviously startled. Bright blue eyes laid on him, they widened and then joined Jackson, letting out a scream of her own.

In the other bed was Riley, in a very similar state as Jackson: they were no longer in their own body.

Jo barged out of the bathroom with weapon in hand, trying to figure out what the hell had the two idiots screaming like lunatics. When she didn't see any immediate danger she looked at Riley and Jackson incredulously, "what the hell is the problem?" She yelled.

Jo looked at Riley, who was dressed in a tank top and her flannel pajama pants. She jumped off the bed and stared at Jo with wide, disturbed eyes. "The _problem_?" She asked slowly. "Oh, I don't know… maybe the fact that I now have _boobs_!" Riley's voice screeched. Jo spared a glance at Jackson, who was staring mouth agape at Riley. It was like he couldn't believe what he was seeing.

Turning back to face Riley, "uh, _newsflash_, Riley: girls have boobs!" She yelled at her cousin incredulously. _Christ_. Ellen wasn't kidding when she said that Riley and Jackson hunting together would be an interesting time. She heard all the bizarre stories Riley would tell when she'd come back from a hunt, but she couldn't understand what exactly had these two so riled up this morning.

"I know _that_, dumb ass," Jackson growled from behind her. Jo spun to face him and gave him her best bitch face and wondered why the hell he replied. "Okay, would one of you please tell me just what in the hell is going on right now?" Jo asked pleadingly.

Jackson let out a sigh, "I don't think the witch is dead, Jo."

Standing behind Jo, Riley was jiggling her boobs and wore a shit-eating grin, "and I have boobies!" She stated once again, except this time it was like she was more content with the current situation at hand.

The piercing blue eyes rolled and he let out a scoff, "would you stop feeling me up, J?" Riley asked, growing more anxious and nervous by the second that she wasn't speaking with her own voice. "It's making me feel freaking uncomfortable."

Jo turned her head back and forth between Riley and Jackson and it clicked. "Oh, you've _got_ to be shitting me."

* * *

"So… run this by me again—like I'm a child. You woke up and…" Jo said slowly from her seat in the booth of the diner. Across from her was Jackson, who was gawking at the waitress he had seen the night before.

"And I was in Riley's body…" he trailed off as his eyes followed the blonde bimbo. Riley had come back from her second trip to the men's room this morning. She plopped herself next to Jackson and looked at him incredulously, "jeez, what are you? Ninety years old? You have the bladder of a friggin' old man."

Jackson tore his gaze away from the waitress and glared at Riley. "Shut up, I have overactive bladder syndrome," he informed her. Both Jo and Riley's brows shot up in surprise.

"Really?" Jo questioned.

"How come we don't normally see you in pull-ups and running to the toilet?" Riley asked with a smirk. She loved to push Jackson's buttons.

Jackson returned the smirk and noticed the waitress coming their way to take their order. He grinned wider and without taking his gaze off the waitress, he said, "well, that's why I'm on medication for it."

"What?" Both Jo and Riley asked in unison. Their question wasn't heard by Jackson, his primary concern was how he was going to get this waitresses number.

Jackson nodded his newly blonde head and put on the most flirtatious expression on his face. Riley found in incredibly disturbing that he was using her body to pick up some chick. Then she had to hold back a laugh when she noticed the waitress' face when Jackson said, "how you doin'," with a slight nod of improvement when his eyes trailed down her figure. The waitress just scoffed and shook her head, "um—_ew_." Her voice was incredibly high pitched like she had just breathed in an entire tank of helium.

Jo covered her mouth with her hand as she stared down at the laminated menu in front of her, barely holding back her giggles. Jackson huffed and seemed to realize that he wasn't in his body at the moment. He rolled his eyes and looked at the waitress, "_right_… I'll have the pancake stack, please." Jackson said defeatedly as he passed her the menu.

Riley had ordered a coffee and a blueberry muffin and Jo asked for an omelet with orange juice. When the waitress left the table, none of them spoke for a long moment. Jo immediately bursted into giggles and both Riley and Jackson glared in her direction. "oh, come _on_! 'How you doin'?'" She mimicked Jackson's attempt to flirt with the waitress.

It was rather funny to see Jackson try and pick up another girl while inhabiting Riley's body. She noticed a younger gentlemen, probably twenty-three or twenty-four years old, sitting on one of the stools near the counter. Riley felt a smirk tug on her lips as an idea formed in her mind. _Two can play at this game…_

Pushing herself out of the booth, Riley strut forward to sit next to the man near the counter. Riley noticed that he was sipping his coffee and reading the newspaper. It actually surprised her when she realized he was solving this weeks crossword puzzle. _Look at you Mr._ _Smarty-pants._

Jo barely held back a laugh as she watched Riley walk towards the counter. It looked so strange because all of the mannerisms weren't Jackson's, they were Riley's. And watching Jackson's body walk like a woman would was beyond hilarious for the hunter.

"Shut up, Jo." Jackson growled from his seat as he cautiously watched Riley and tried to figure out what her intentions were. When they first got to the dinner, Jackson had slumped into the booth with his legs wide open and completely unladylike. Riley elbowed him and grimly reminded him that he was now a woman and to start acting like one. He was beginning to think that maybe he should tell Riley to be a man.

"Hi," Riley said to the man sweetly. It was so out of the norm for a random dude to just come up to another random dude and start up conversation. She watched the man furrow his brows as he stared into what really was Jackson's blue eyes. The man smiled slightly, "hello there." His voice was husky and low. If Riley were in her own body, she would probably think it was a turn-on. She couldn't complain, the guy was pretty good looking.

"So…" Riley said and pointed a direction back at the booth where Jackson and Jo sat. "My friend over there—in the purple flannel, is really into you. I know this probably sounds super weird and creepy, but she is my best friend really and we know each other inside and out," Riley babbled and started to think how ironic that statement sounded. They literally knew each other inside and out these days considering the current situation.

"So…I was wondering if we are still in town tomorrow…" She trailed off when she noticed him grabbing a napkin and jotting down a number. He slid it across the counter, "here's my number, I'm Ben by the way."

Riley grinned as she picked up the napkin, "R-_Jackson_!" She quickly corrected herself. "My name is Jackson."

"Well Jackson, tomorrow…" Ben scrunched up his face in thought, "eight o'clock? Call me and I'll come pick you up."

Riley nodded her head, not realizing that it was directed at her and not for Jackson. "Great, awesome!"

It was so quick that Riley didn't even have a moment to process what happened next. Ben had jumped off his stool and put his hand behind Riley's neck and pulled her into a kiss.

Back at the booth, Jo bursted out laughing on how the scene played out. She glanced at Jackson and laughed even louder. He looked absolutely disgusted and disturbed. "Oh my god!" Jo cried with laughter. They watched the man named Ben release Riley who was completely stunned at the turn of events. _That was not what she was expecting._ Ben had said to call him and gave a smack to the ass which had Riley squeal in surprise.

Completely mortified, Riley slowly walked back to the booth and sat down with wide eyes. Jackson glared at her with a fierce expression, not saying a word.

_Whack! _

Riley cried out and looked at Jackson incredulously. Did he just slap her in the back of the head?! "Jackson! What the hell?" Riley yelled.

Just then, the waitress came with their breakfast and placed it down on the table. She glared at both Jackson and Riley and then proceeded to slap Riley in the back of her head. Startled and utterly surprised, she looked at the waitress, "what the hell was that for?!" She shouted.

"For trying to pick me up yesterday and then swapping spit with Mr. Sexy over there not even five minutes ago!" The waitress yelled back.

_Jesus Christ. _This was so not her morning. Riley looked at Jackson, "you were trying to pick her up yesterday too?" Riley wanted to die of embarrassment. She felt Jackson's cheek flush red and then had the sudden urge to use the bathroom once again. This whole situation was absolutely ridiculous.

The waitress looked at them oddly before scoffed and left them to themselves. Jackson looked at Riley, "you kissed a man with my lips, Riley!" He said frantically. "Incase you haven't noticed… I do _not _swing that way!"

"Shut up, J. That_—_" She pointed in the direction of the young man that was walking out of the diner, "was _not_ supposed to happen." Riley said breathlessly. They needed to find this witch _now_ and get back to their own bodies.

Jo was shaking, trying her hardest not to burst out in another fit of hysterics. She couldn't hold it together anymore and let it loose, barely able to stay in the booth. Her stomach clenched and she couldn't catch her breath from laughing so hard. Jo honestly thought that their stories were exaggerated, because she didn't think that these two could actually get into such ridiculous situations like this. She was clearly proved wrong and for once, she was happy that she was wrong.

"Shut up, Jo!" Both Riley and Jackson hissed at her. It only caused the Harvelle girl to laugh even harder.

* * *

Things didn't calm down once they reached the motel. In fact, Jo thought that the bickering escalated a lot more when it was time to shower. She heard yelling from the bathroom between her fellow hunters about hygiene.

"Riley—_ow_! Are you trying to rip my head off?" Jackson's yelling was heard through the thin walls of the motel room. Jo snorted and shook her head from her seat at the table. She had grabbed the witch's spell book back at the house and was going through the pages. Jo noticed that one page was folded on the edge slightly and read what was on it. She felt her eyes widen at the sight of it. The spell she cast on Riley and Jackson was the same spell or at least very similar spell that was cast on the previous victims._ Damn it_.

It was a rare spell that most witches didn't mess around with. Of course they would run into one that would have the balls to play around with such dark magic because that was just their luck.

"Jackson… I swear on all that is holy… hold _still_!" Riley bellowed from the bathroom. Jo didn't pay much attention because her focus was solely on this spell. Souls are very complex and it makes a person who they are. Basically spiritual DNA. And because of that, a soul cannot last in any other body other than its own because it simply wasn't designed for that body. Jo's eyes widened when she read that the lifespan of those who had the spell casted on them didn't usually pass the forty eight hour mark.

"Guys! Get in here!" Jo called, voice panicking.

The door slammed open and Jackson stomped out and slumped in the seat across from Jo. Her eyebrows rose at his appearance. His hair wait dripping wet and in knots. Riley had immediately followed with a brush in hand and headed straight for Jackson. His eyes widened and he jumped out of the chair, "no! Not again…"

"Let me get the knots out of my hair, Jackson!"

Jo watched the scene play out incredulously. From her view it looked like Riley who was in Jackson's chasing Jackson who was in Riley's body with a hairbrush around the small motel room. They were jumping over the beds and somehow managed to knock down one of the chairs near the table. _Christ._ Apparently, Riley had enough and tossed the brush in Jackson's direction, successfully smacking him in the back of his head. "Damn it Riley!" He roared. Jo wasn't quite sure how exactly it happened but in the mist of things, Jackson managed to knee Riley where a man wasn't supposed to be kneed. She watched her eyes grow wide and Riley lost her breath. "_Man_ down…" Riley painfully whispered as she dropped on the hideous and filthy beige carpet.

Jo, completely baffled turned to face Jackson, "why the hell did you do that?"

Jackson simply shrugged and ran a hand through Riley's blonde hair. "Now she knows what it feels like to get nailed in the baby-makers."

"They're _your_ balls, Jackson!" Jo snapped back as she bent down to check over her cousin.

Jackson made a slight face and looked like he regretted his actions. "It was a spur in the moment kind of thing!"

"Well, there is going to be another spur in the moment when we get our asses back in our own bodies and I freaking throw a brick at your _baby-makers_, J!" Riley warned from her position on the floor. Letting out a shaky breath, she muttered, "I think I might've peed myself."

_Alright!_ Jo pushed herself off the ground and shook her head, "yeah, well, there won't be any throwing bricks or anything unless we get you guys back in your own bodies within twenty four hours." She informed them grimly. Noticing their facial expressions, Jo pointed a thumb towards the table where the spell book was, "It's more like a soul swap than a body swap."

"_Great._" Riley replied sarcastically as she pulled herself off the floor and sat on the edge of the bed.

"What I don't get is how the witch is still alive? You shot her, Jo. I checked to make sure she was dead," Jackson said, confused.

"That's what I'm saying, J! I don't know."

"Let me see the book," Riley said as she made a 'give me' motion with one of her hands. Jo nodded her head and took a few steps towards the table to grab the spell book and give it to her cousin. The room was quiet as Riley began to read over the pages that were marked, her brows rising and furrowing every few seconds. She was just about to tell Jo and Jackson that she had no damn clue what to do next, but a piece of red thread caught her eye. Her fingers followed it and noticed that it was being used as a bookmark in the spell book. She opened it to the specific page and her eyes widened. "I think I just figured out why the bitch isn't dead."

"Why?" Jackson asked.

"She used a spell, dumb ass." Jo said in realization. "Is there anyway to stop it?"

"Theres an incantation that needs to be spoken… I'm not exactly sure if we can be the ones who say it, but I don't think we have the time to hunt down a friendly witch within the next twenty four hours and tell them we need help killing a family member." Was Riley's reply. She shook her head and looked at her cousin, "we are screwed, aren't we?"

"Not yet. I'll give Ash a call. See if he can dig anything up on this," Jo said as she took the book out of Riley's hands and waved it in front of them. "You guys aren't dying on me yet."

Both of them nodded their head in appreciation and watched Jo walk outside to call the man with a mullet.

* * *

The clock was ticking. Riley and Jacks had a little under twelve hours to go before their time was up. Ash had somehow figured out that the incantation did not need to be said by a witch, _thank god_. But, they had to get in close to say it in order to cancel out the spell and kill the witch before she kills them. They also had to find the crazy bat. But, Ash had helped them with that too. The trio were now headed to an old unused building where the occult meetings were held over thirty years ago.

The three of them had walked together in silence. There was tension between Riley and Jo once again because Riley had brought up the topic of speaking to Ellen once again. As usual, Jo snapped back and told Riley to leave it be. Jo's mind was clouded with so many thoughts, she barely noticed that they've reached the building until Jackson announced it, "we're here."

"Gee, thanks tour guide," Riley muttered sarcastically. Jackson simply rolled his eyes and checked his gun before shoving it back in the lower back of his jeans.

Even though Riley and Jackson had switched bodies, Jo had been able to tell the difference between them without a second glance. She felt a small smirk tug her lips as she pulled out the paper with the incantation written on it.

"You ready?" Riley asked, looking at Jo.

Jo simply nodded her head and kicked open the door like it was nothing. She heard Jackson snort and mock whisper to her cousin, "that was _so_ bad ass."

"Shut it, J."

They froze at what was in front of them. There were spell work all over the cement floors and walls, not to mention the hundred freaking candles that lit up the joint. In the center of the room and surrounded by candles sat Adrienne, who was clearly in a trance. Her eyes were rolled back and her mouth was agape. They spared glances at one another and Riley gave Jo a nod to start reading the incantation.

Jo quietly unfolded the paper that she pulled out of her back pocket and began to mutter the words quietly. Jackson and Riley both pulled out their guns and aimed it at Adrienne waiting for the crazy bitch to pounce. Jo kept glancing up at the witch and then at her hunting partners while she read the incantation. She was trying to read quickly as possible so they can finally end this once and for all.

Jackson furrowed his brows when out of nowhere, there was a large gust of wind. He looked at the witch and noticed that she didn't even move a muscle. It was like Adrienne was oblivious to the world around her. He looked at Riley with confused eyes, "isn't she supposed to start shooting lightening strikes at us, or what?" Jackson didn't expected for this so go so smoothly because that was never the case when he and Riley were on a hunt.

Riley nodded her head, uncertain, "yeah, something is definitely up." She agreed with him. She glanced at Jo and noticed that she was more than half way through the incantation. There was a striking pain in her abdomen and Riley cried out and collapsed to the floor. It had felt like someone was shredding her body inside out. She barely noticed that Jackson was now in the same state as she was: on the floor and withering in excoriating pain.

Jo looked up from the paper, her eyes grew wide when she saw Jackson and Riley on the ground. She looked where the witch was supposed to be and quickly realized that she was no longer there. _Oh shit, oh shit._ Jo felt the wind growing stronger and then she heard the voice behind her.

Spinning around, Jo saw the witch; her eyes were still rolled behind her head and she wore a strange smile that wanted to make the Harvelle shiver. Jo realized that Adrienne was chanting yet another spell, probably one that was causing her two best friends to collapse on the ground. Her voice started rising with panic as she tried to finish the spell so they can put a bullet in this witch's head and unlike last time, she'll stay dead.

"It is too late, little one! It is too late!" Adrienne screamed with a manic smile.

Jo said the last line and glanced at Riley and Jackson, they weren't moving. Her eyes grew wide and with all the pent up anger that was boiling within her, Jo pulled out her gun and aimed it directly on Adrienne's forehead, "I _don't_ care."

She pressed the trigger and watched the witch's body crumple to the ground. Jo dropped her gun and ran towards her cousin and friend. She fell to her knees and shook Riley's body, "Riley? Jackson? Whoever the hell is in there, wake _up_!" Jo yelled. She moved to Jackson's body and did the same to him. A few frighteningly silent moments went by and Jo began to fear the worst. Just then, Jackson's body shot up and he inhaled a large breath, followed by Riley. They both looked at each other and then at Jo.

Jo stared at the pair with wide eyes. Jackson glanced around the room and noticed the dead witch on the floor about fifteen feet away from them. He nodded in improvement and looked at Jo with a very serious face, "did you kick her to check if she's dead?"

Riley only rolled her eyes and leaned over to give him a smack on the back of his head. "Yes, because nudging a supposed dead corpse with your foot gives you the best accurate results," she said sarcastically.

Jo could only smile in relief. They were _alive_ and back in their own bodies.

* * *

Jackson had decided he wanted to take a breather and go for a walk before he spent the next several hours stuck behind the wheel of his jeep. It was pretty obvious he was going to make another attempt with the waitress back at the diner. Riley had told him when they got back to the motel, that she and him would take a ride out to go see his father at the cabin in North Dakota.

It only left Riley and Jo in the motel room. They were both quietly folding their clothes and shoving them back into their duffles. Jo huffed out a sigh as she zipped up her bag and tossed it on the floor. She spun to face her cousin, "you were right." She stated.

Riley furrowed her brows in confusion as she stared at her cousin, "uh... about what, exactly?"

Jo was never one to admit that she was wrong about something. She was a stubborn son of a bitch like her cousin. She rolled her eyes and scoffed, "about everything... and that I'm not fine..."

"See? You admitted the problem. You just completed the next step of the twelve step program. Damn, I should buy a pack of stickers to reward you." Riley wisecracked.

Jo let her eyes roll and a smirk appeared on her lips. Riley wasn't the type of person that would rub it in someone's face that she was right or tell them 'I told you so,' that was more of Jo's forte. "I know you and J are headed to North Dakota to go talk to Eric, but you think you can drop me off home? I gotta talk to mom."

Riley smiled and nodded her head, "of course, Jo."

"You know, I think I understand why you and mom worry so much..." At Riley's confused look, Jo continued, "there was a split moment where I thought you and J were dead... the witch said that it was too late and when I looked in your direction, you and Jackson were out cold and from my view, you looked..."

"Dead," Riley finished. "You thought me and J were dead?"

Jo nodded her head, "I know that day is going to come for all of us. I mean—living like this, you can't expect to die peacefully in your sleep at the age of ninety, you know? But that feeling I had when I thought you were gone... I never want to feel like that. And I think that's why you and mom freaked when I chose to hunt. Because unlike me, you know what that feeling is."

"I'm not going anywhere, Jo," Riley said determinedly. "Neither is Aunt Ellen and neither is J. You aren't leaving anytime soon either." Riley was so relieved that Jo had finally admitted her feelings about everything that has been going on over the past couple of weeks. The two brothers crossed her mind and Riley decided to test the waters,"Jo, about the Winchesters..."

Riley watched Jo close her eyes and huff out a sigh, "I know they didn't know about dad, but... it still hurts, you know?" Jo deeply regretted how she left off with Sam and Dean a few weeks ago. It wasn't fair to them because in truth, they had no idea about John's whereabouts. Sam and Dean weren't their father and her outburst was misplaced anger she felt for their father. But then again... nobody would ever know the true story of what happened the night of Bill's death because the only two men who could tell the story were now dead.

Jo had to face it... She had to get over it and move on.

* * *

They were headed to North Dakota. Riley and Jackson had spent countless hours at the little cabin that Eric Hallowell owned. It was basically home for Jackson. They had gotten back to the roadhouse to drop Jo off so she can apologize to her mother and Jackson offered to drive there, both he and Riley hopped inside the blue jeep and made their way to North Dakota.

The car ride was slow and Jackson wasn't sure whether or not it was because there was actually some traffic on the backroads they usually take to get to the cabin or if he was afraid of what he might find. He glanced at Riley, who was staring out the passenger side window and felt relief course through his body. At least she would be there.

"He's fine, J" Riley said as she turned her head to face him.

Jackson shook his head, "you don't know that…"

"He's got the John Winchester habit of not checking in," Riley replied, not missing a beat. "Come on, he's gone longer than this without contact and he was always fine." She pointed out. Jackson forced himself to nod his head in acceptance and he grabbed Riley's hand and squeezed. A small smile crept on her lips and she squeezed back.

Riley loved Jackson like a little brother. Him and his father were like family and she had promised Eric a long time ago that she would always have Jack's back. She leaned her head on his shoulder and let out a sigh as she watched the scenery whoosh right by her.

A little while later, they pulled up to the cabin that was pretty isolated from civilization. Jackson tossed her the key to the front door and nodded for her to get out, "I gotta go park the jeep. Just let yourself inside and watch out for my dad." He warned.

Still half asleep and with a stiff neck, Riley opened the passenger door and headed for the porch. She felt a smile tugging on her lips when the memory of teaching Jackson how to shoot cans crossed her mind. Her dad had dropped her off at the Hallowell cabin for the weekend to spend time with Jacks. That particular weekend, Jacks was determined to learn how to shoot. Long story short: Eric was not very happy when he and Brian returned back to the cabin to see the windows shattered due to Jackson's horrible aim. There were still bullets stuck in the panels of the front of the house that Eric couldn't pull out. She opened the front door and immediately got the whiff of a familiar horrid stench. Riley slowly walked inside and noticed there was a letter addressed to Jackson was placed on the napkin holder on the table. Covering her nose with her sleeve to try and block the smell, she picked up the envelope. A figure on the the left caught her eye and when she turned around, her eyes widened.

Riley took a few hesitant steps closer and recognized the figure as Eric Hallowell. His body was ripped and torn into shreds and dried blood surrounded him. His body looked like it was here for a while…

Her eyes watered at the sight of a man she practically considered an uncle. Jackson's father was dead. _Murdered_. And if she had to guess what did this, she would say hellhounds. But…_how_?

She heard Jackson talking from the porch steps. Letting out a little sob, she grabbed the letter and pushed him out the door. No way in hell was she going to let Jackson see his father like that. He frowned and stared at Riley in confusion. His expression dropped and his face fell flat when he saw tears streaking her cheeks. He swallowed nervously, "Riley?"

The young Harvelle took a shaky breath and shook her head, "no, J." Her voice was barely above a whisper. "No."

Jackson's heart pounded in his chest. "Where's my father?" He asked, fear growing because he had a feeling that he knew what exactly was in the Hallowell cabin.

Riley swallowed the knot in her throat and took in her best friend's expression, he already knew what she was going to tell him, but he clung onto the hope that his dad was fine and cleaning out his guns like he usually did. "He's inside."

Jackson's eyes already began to water and Riley watched him put on a smile, "great. Let's go see him then." He was persistent and in denial. He tried to move past Riley and go inside the cabin, but Riley pushed him back and got in his way once again.

"Jackson…" Riley's voice broke softly as she called to him.

The young man she considered a little brother just shook his head. "No. He's fine," he said to Riley, practically begging her to say that it was the truth. "He was _fine_!" His voice rose slightly.

Riley's face crumpled and she placed the letter in his now shaking hands. "I am so _sorry_, Jacks," she whispered to him. He looked at her completely broken and took the envelope out of her hand. Jackson ripped it open and read his father's words to him. His eyes grew wide and tears slipped down his flushed cheeks. Jackson dropped his hands to his sides and looked at Riley, "my dad _sold his soul_ for me." He stated softly.

Riley's eyes widened as she stared at Jackson, "…what?" She breathed.

Jackson shook his head, so many emotions and thoughts racing through his mind. "I didn't just hit my head when the demon that possessed my mom pushed me down the stairs, Riley…" he said to her. His voice broke, "I was _dying_." He was growing hysterical, "my dad went to _hell_ for me!" Riley pulled him to her and squeezed him as tight as she could. He let out a loud cry of grief. There were so many emotions running through Jackson: sadness, grief, guilt, anger… ten years ago, his mother had died after a demon possessed her and his father sold his soul to save his only son.

Now, everything made so much more sense—why Eric pushed for Jackson to start spending time and hunt with Riley. He wanted to prepare him for when he was gone. Jackson didn't even get the chance to say goodbye. He just remembered his father constantly checking his watch and glancing around the cabin nervously. Eric had given him the pendant that night and told him to guard it with his life. Looking back at it now, Jackson realized that his father had done something strange; he had pulled his son into a hug and told him how proud he was of the man he'd become and to keep fighting. Jackson didn't realize what he was doing until now.

It was a father telling his son goodbye.

* * *

**So… comments anyone? I know. I'm kind of evil with delivering you all such a funny/happy chapter and then you guys get hit with this terrible ending. This ending was so difficult to write and I had kept revising and revising it for freaking ever! So I hope I got the emotion on paper… PWEASE LEAVE ME A FLIPPIN REVIEW. I really hope you enjoyed the scenes between Riley and Jackson! Their adventures together can get pretty bizarre. It was so fun to write those scenes and I'm definitely going to try and fit more in the upcoming chapters that Jackson features in! He is such a fun character and he is going to have a hard time dealing after the big bomb that was dropped on him at the end of the chapter. ALSO, we are half way through with this story! Crazy eh? There's about six or seven more chapters, depending if I separate one chapter. Thanks for sticking with me guys! Love you all!**


	7. Road Trip

**A/N:**_ Well here is chapter six! This takes place during season two __Hunted__ episode. We get a glimpse of what happened after the end of the last chapter! Gosh, another big thank you to everyone who followed, favorited and reviewed this story! Only five chapters posted and I have over thirty followers. Getting those notifications just makes my day! Thank you for taking the time to read my story! Now, let us get to the next chapter! Don't forget to leave a review! Thanks guys! xox_

* * *

**_Chapter Six_****_: _****Road Trip**

_"You've reached J Hallowell. Leave a message at your own risk."_

Riley huffed and closed her eyes in annoyance. It must have been the millionth time she heard those eleven words from Jackson's voicemail. It has been a little over two weeks since their little discovery at the Hallowell Cabin. It's been rough for Jackson since he found out the lengths his father had actually gone for him. Eric was in _hell_. And he was there for his only son. Jacks had gotten real quiet after they had driven back to the roadhouse to meet with Jo, Ellen, and Ash. Apparently another argument had broken out between Jo and her mother resulting in her cousin leaving once again. But unlike last time, she left a text for Riley, telling her that she wasn't going to hunt, instead she was working at another bar a few towns over and that they would meet up soon.

The youngest Harvelle pressed her forehead on the cool window in her room. Everything right now was so messed up. There were so many questions that needed answers, but there was no one to answer them. She was worried for the young man she considered a little brother. She had woken up the one morning to find Jackson's handwriting on her dry-erase board; in his surprisingly neat writing he wrote that he needed to be alone for a while and not to worry. It's been nearly four days since she saw him. Riley was worried that maybe she was hovering over him. He was a big boy—a big boy who had just lost his father to a demon deal that was made ten years ago. Eric always made Riley promise him that she would watch out for his son, as she wasn't going to quit on J now. After all, Jackson was one of the few people who helped her through all the pain and grief when her own father died.

This whole situation just sucked ass.

_Where is he? Is he okay? What is he doing? _Riley had no idea. Her best friend was in the slumps and wouldn't open up to anyone. It was so unlike Jackson too. He was never one to hold back his feelings or his thoughts. It was probably one of the characteristics she loved about him. Riley couldn't understand how things had pretty much turned upside down in the matter of three days. They had gone on that bizarre witch hunt, both of them experiencing what life would be like if they were a boy or a girl… _never again_, Riley thought. She had sympathy for guys who had gotten hit in the jewels now after experiencing for herself. Riley knew that Jo was well entertained during that entire hunt. Looking back at it now, even she had to laugh at how crazy things get when they hunted together. There was always a new story to tell when they got back home to the roadhouse.

Glancing at her phone once more, her thumb traced over the redial button and the highlighted name of the number she wished to dial. She pressed the call button and raised it up to her ear, praying that this time, she would actually get an answer.

_"You've reached J Hallowell. Leave a message at your own risk."_

Riley heard the beep that let her know the voicemail was recording, she let out a sigh and leaned her shoulder against the window, letting the sun reflect off her face as she stared at the dry-erase board that still had Jackson's note written on it. "Jacks… look, call me when you get this, please? You shouldn't have to deal with this alone. Call me." She snapped her phone shut without taking her eyes of the board. _What to do… what to do…_

She needed to find Jackson before he goes out there and does something stupid. Out of all people, Riley knew what kind of stupid things one would do with all the pain and grief a person felt after they lost someone. She was in her best friend's position just a few years ago, when her father was dying in her arms. Riley never talked about that night, not really. She only gave enough details to get by. The only person who really knew the whole story was Jackson. A lot of people look at Riley and they only see this happy, bubbly twenty year old girl, but like every other hunter, she had a sad story told behind her big brown eyes. Most people just wouldn't notice.

Stuffing her phone back into her jean pocket, Riley left her bedroom and decided to go seek out Ash. If there was someone who can find Jacks' location, it would be him. Stomping out of her room and into the main entrance where the bar was, Riley was surprised to see the youngest Winchester sitting on one of the stools talking to Ash.

"Sam?"

Riley watched his head snap in her direction, he let a small smile grace his lips when his eyes laid on her. "Hey Riley, how's it going?" His soft voice spoke.

She nodded her head and shrugged one shoulder, "it's going…" A frown appeared on her face when she noticed that the other Winchester was missing. "Where's Dean?"

"Not here," Ellen replied, giving Sam a pointed look.

Riley raised a brow, "o-kay…" She looked at Ash pleadingly, "I need you to find J, Ash. He is going to go do something stupid, I feel it." She said to the man with a mullet. Ash had raised his eyes from his laptop and gave Riley a sympathetic look. He nodded his head understandingly, "sure, Riles. I'll get on it soon as I finish with Winchester here." Ash's head bopped in Sam's direction before he went back to work on his computer.

Sam frowned slightly when he looked at Riley closely. She had slight bags under her eyes from lack of sleep, her mood seemed down and so unlike her bubbly self. Usually every time Sam saw her, Riley worse a smile on her face except this time. And it worried him. He hasn't seen her since the whole blow out between Jo and Dean, but he knew that Riley wasn't upset or placed any blame on them. She had left a voicemail on Sam's phone that night apologizing for how things ended. He watched the blonde come forward and take a seat next to him, leaning her elbows on the counter and watched her aunt work behind the bar, cleaning the dishes.

"You okay?"

Riley sent Sam a side glance, "I'm not sure I know the definition of the word _okay _anymore, Sam." She said, voice quiet. She shook her head, "I'm tired."

Sam nodded, "we all are."

A few silent moments went by and the only thing that could be heard was the faucet running behind the bar and the little clicking on Ash's laptop as his fingers raced across the keyboard. "Jackson's dad is dead." Riley said as she stared into space.

Sam looked at her, his brows furrowed intensely, "what?" He asked. Sam watched her nod her head. Sighing softly, he asked, "what happened?"

"Demon deal, apparently." Riley huffed and then looked at Sam straight in the eye, "Jackson is _wrecked_."

"You don't seem to be dealing well either, you know," Sam commented softly.

"I knew Eric for a long time… him and my dad were close. Nobody knew that he was on a clock. Only him. No goodbyes. Nothing. Just more unanswered questions." Riley felt her eyes water slightly, she quickly tried wiping them, "and to make matters worse, J is out there by himself… if this is me dealing, then what the hell must he be like?" She asked brokenly. "That was his _dad_." Her voice barely above a whisper.

"I'm sorry." Sam said sincerely.

"What am I looking for, Sam?" Ash piped up from his seat at the table.

Sam tore his gaze off Riley and looked at Ash. "Other people, other psychics, like me." He said determinedly. "As many as possible, and I need a nationwide search."

Riley's brows rose inexplicably high when she heard Sam say that. What had him searching for the other special people with abilities like his? And didn't they figure out after the situation with the other psychic they came across last time, that there are some that do not fit the pattern? How would it be possible to track every single one of them down?

Ellen spoke Riley's thoughts. "But I thought there was no way to track them all down," she recalled, looking at Sam. "Not all of them had nursery fires like you did." She pointed out.

"Well… no. But some had to. Start there." Sam replied, looking back at Ash.

"Yes sir," Ash responded with a mock salute. He grabbed his laptop and went towards the back where his room was. All three of them heard his door close from the bar and then followed by silence.

The phone abruptly rang and Ellen reached to answer it, speaking quietly to whoever was on the other line, leaving Sam and Riley to themselves.

"Why are you trying to find the other psychics?" Riley asked, looking at Sam intently. "And where's your brother?" She would be lying if Riley said she wasn't curious as to why Sam was here by himself. One thing that everyone knew about the Winchesters—well Sam and Dean, anyway, was that they were practically glued to the hip. So she found it surprising that the elder Winchester brother wasn't gracing her presence today.

Sam looked at Riley with a raised brow. "Well, it would make sense to try and find them. I mean, the demon chose us all for some reason and I think it would be a good idea to see who else is out there… what other kind of abilities they might have…" Sam trailed off, no longer looking at Riley.

"And Dean?"

"What? You like him better than me or something?" Sam asked somewhat heatedly.

Riley gave him an odd look and smacked his shoulder, "shut it, Winchester." She warned playfully. "I'm serious, what's going on?" Her voice concerned.

She watched Sam blow out a sigh, "He didn't tell me something…" At Riley's questioning gaze, he elaborated, "something really important that I should've known from the get go."

Realizing that was all she was going to get out of him, Riley nodded her head reluctantly and didn't ask any more questions.

"So… uh, how are you? You know—besides the obvious." Sam said after a quiet moment.

"Oh, I'm _dandy_." Riley said sarcastically. "I've been here for two weeks—going nuts with trying to get a hold of Jackson for the past four days. Jo is out and about doing her thing… and I'm here…"

Sam grimaced at her tone. Maybe that was the wrong question to ask. "Right…" He replied awkwardly.

"It's been quiet," she said nodding her head to the door. "Out there… makes you wonder what's going on, you know?"

"Yeah…" Sam replied, grim. When things grow quiet in the hunting world, that was when you needed to be worried.

"I need to get the hell outta here. Go on a hunt or something. Find Jackson." Riley said, jumping off her stool.

Sam looked at her, brows furrowing. "By _yourself_?" He asked incredulously.

Riley gave him a knowing smile, "It wouldn't be the first time, you know."

He felt his cheeks grow warm in slight embarrassment. He was worried about her. Sam couldn't explain it, but he found himself thinking about the young Harvelle quite often. There was just something about her that made him look twice. He knew that she was a good person and would do anything for her family. Hell, he'd seen it when Jo was determined to hunt on her own. Sam was surprised when Ellen had told him that Riley had took both Jo and Jackson on a hunt not too long ago. When he pressed further, Ellen closed up because in the end, it resulted in another mother and daughter argument and most likely the discovery of Jackson's father's untimely demise.

He found it so amusing that even though she was younger than Jo, Riley acted like the older one of the two. She was the Dean to her Sam, really. Another thing that he liked about her was her strange yet funny sense of humor. And he knew that she did and said things that weren't even meant to be funny, but yet they were. It was her.

Just as Sam was going to babble some reply that probably would have embarrassed himself further, he was cut off when Ash walked back into the room with a folded piece of paper in hand. He waves it up for Sam to see. "Done and done."

"That was fast," Sam remarked.

"Well, apparently, thats my job." Ash replied. He smirked and gave a knowing look at Riley, "Make the monkey dance at the keyboard."

"What did you get, Ash?" Riley asked, stuffing her hands in her back of her jean pockets.

Ash shrugged, "Four folks fit the profile nationwide. Born in eighty-three, mother died in a nursery fire, the whole shebang."

Sam looked beside himself. "_Four_?" He asked incredulously. "That's it?"

He glanced down at the paper in his hand, "Sam Winchester from Lawrence, Kansas. Max Miller from Saginaw, Michigan. Andrew Gallagher from Guthrie, Oklahoma. And uh… another name. Scott Carey." Ash said, reading off the list.

Sam looked hopeful when he heard the last name. It was the only person on the list that he hadn't come across. "You got an address?"

Ash made a face, "Kind of…" Both Sam and Riley gave Ash a look to elaborate further. "The Arbor Hill Cemetery in Lafayette, Indiana. Plot four-eighty-six."

Sam was quiet for a beat as he stared blankly at Ash. "So, he's dead?"

"Killed. About a month ago."

The Winchester's brows were deeply furrowed, "killed _how_?"

"Stabbed. Parking lot. Fuzz don't have much, no suspects." Ash replied.

Sam nodded silently before getting up off his seat, "All right. Thank you."

Riley watched Sam make his way towards the exit and Ash give him a slap on the back before picking up Sam's half drunk beer Ellen had offered to him earlier and took a swig at it. She made a face and smacked Ash in the back of the head, "_no_." She told him, taking the beer out of his hand at putting it in the sink behind the bar.

"Oh come on, Riles! It was a good beer going to waste!" Ash whined.

Ellen had gotten off the phone while her niece, Sam and Ash were talking about the information that was found on the special children. She watched Sam head towards the door with a frown on her face. "Where are you going?"

Sam turned around and looked at Ellen like the answer would have been obvious. "Indiana."

"Sam? I've gotta call Dean. I've gotta let him know where you are." Ellen told him.

Riley looked between her aunt and Sam as they spoke. An idea suddenly forming in her mind.

"Ellen. I'm trying to find answers. About who I am. And my brother means well, but he can't protect me from that." He said pleadingly. Then Sam brought out the big guns and used the puppy eyes on Ellen. "Please."

Riley caught Ellen's eye. She sent a questioning look to her niece before nodding reluctantly in Sam's direction.

"All right! Give me five." Riley called out, looking at Sam.

Sam literally had put his hand around the nob of the front door, ready to leave but froze when he heard Riley speak. Did he hear right? He turned around and looked at the blonde. "What?"

Riley shrugged and looked at him like it would be obvious, "well, I'm gonna come with you, obviously. Try and find you some answers." She sent him a smirk.

"Riley—" Sam tried to come up with an excuse as to why she couldn't come with him. But a part of him really did want her company. "Look, I don't want you to get in the middle of this mess. It's not your fight." He knew that it sounded weak and decided to play his other card, "besides, you have to find Jackson, right?"

The Harvelle only quirked a brow, "Jackson may be an idiot, but he's not stupid. He can hide himself if he wants to." She pointed out. "It's going to take Ash a little bit until he gets his location and besides… whether you admit it or not, you need help. And I just so happen to have a free schedule." Riley said with a smirk.

Sam opened his mouth and quickly closed it, finding himself unsure of what to say. "Uh…" He looked in Ellen's direction, unsure of what to say. If Ellen didn't want Riley out there with him, he would understand considering her history with his father. Ellen only raised a brow and gave a shrug of her shoulders as if saying 'what?_'_

Pursing his lips, "I'll wait by the car." Sam said.

"Oh, no. Get your large ass in my truck." Riley said as she walked towards her room. She turned back to face Sam before the corner of the hall, "Sorry, but I don't want to sit in a car that you most likely hot-wired to get here." At Sam's facial expression, Riley put in, "unless you have the impala?" She asked with a quirked brow.

Sam could only roll his eyes, "Meet you by your truck."

Riley waited until Sam was out the door before turning to face her aunt, "Call Dean and tell him that the tall one is okay." There was no need for the elder Winchester to worry about his baby brother, Sam was fine and an idiot for running out on him. If Riley and Dean had one thing in common, it would be to protect their family with everything they had.

Ellen smiled and nodded her head, "honey, I am way ahead of ya." She said knowingly as she picked up the phone, ready to dial Dean Winchester.

* * *

Riley glanced at Sam from the drivers seat and noticed how his nose was buried into that smartphone of his. He really didn't say much once they got on the road to Lafayette, Indiana. Maybe she was too forward with tagging along? Was he right about this not being her fight and to not get involved? Should she have just stayed at the roadhouse and wait for Jackson to get in touch with her? Riley mentally groaned in annoyance at her racing thoughts. That was one of the things she disliked about driving such long distances; your mind tends to travel to the unknown… and you don't always like what you find.

"So… what's the plan once we get to _Lafayette_?" Riley asked, speaking in some strange unknown accent that caused Sam to smirk.

"Well, something tells me that this wasn't your ordinary stabbing. So, I think we should talk to some family or friends, maybe?" Sam said, his eyes finally off his phone as he glanced around the passing scenery. He took a good look around Riley's truck. It was nice. She had a nice set up and no one would ever be able to find her hunter gear. Sam was surprised to find out that her back seats fold over and underneath is all her weapons neatly stored away.

"Okie dokie," Riley responded with a nod.

Sam stared at Riley for a long moment. "Why did you come, Riley?"

She looked mildly surprised at his question. Shrugging, "I don't know—you looked like you need help—and well, I offered, I guess." Riley fumbled for words. She spared a glance at the younger Winchester and grew slightly uncomfortable with his intense staring. Maybe she made things awkward. God, this whole car ride was awkward.

"Thanks."

Riley smiled slightly, "you're welcome."

In a few hours, they would arrive in Indiana and have a very interesting conversation with Scott Carey's father, who was pretty broken up over the death of his son. Sam would make up the lie that he and Riley had attend high school with the deceased. Mr. Carey would inform the two that Scott had complained of headaches, nightmares, depression, and paranoia around a year ago—around the same time Sam's visions begun. Riley would politely ask if they could see his room, which looked like any ordinary bedroom. The only difference was in the back of Scott Carey's closet, behind all his clothes, would reveal a very disturbing collage of deep glowing yellow eyes glued to the wall.

* * *

The only thought on Riley's mind was about what she and Sam had discovered back in Scott Carey's closest. The yellow eyes were the only thing she saw when she closed her eyes. It was obvious that what they'd seen had affected Sam as well. Like Riley, Sam was unusually quiet as they drove to the motel. The Harvelle girl knew that sleep wasn't going to come easy tonight… if it even came at all.

As if things couldn't get any weird that night, Riley watched as the Winchester who was just a few steps ahead of her freeze in place and cautiously look around the parking lot. Riley slowly placed her hand near her lower back where her pistol was; prepared for anyone or anything that may jump out of the shadows.

Sam glanced at Riley from the corner of his eye and noticed how she took a few steps closer to stand next to him. She had obviously realized that they were being followed as well. He gave her a slight nod and they both slowly walked towards the motel room. In the matter of seconds, Sam spun around and grabbed the stalker, successfully shoving the stranger against the wall.

Now that she was in the light, Riley felt herself frown at the sight of the young woman in front of them. She was just a few inches taller than her with light brown hair and cool grey-blue eyes. The woman had thin pink lips and her expression looked surprised as scared.

"Who are you?" Sam questioned, still holding the woman against the wall.

She looked ready to burst into tears. "Please!" She cried. "You're in danger!"

Both Sam and Riley stared at the woman very confused by her answer. They glanced at one another, unsure of what to make of the situation at hand.

Riley blew out a sigh and felt her shoulders slump slightly. "Come on. You can explain inside." She pulled the room key out of her back pocket and quickly unlocked the door.

Sam slowly put the brunette down and backed away a few steps, still wearily watching her as she followed Riley inside the room. From there, the two hunters watched as this mysterious woman paced back and forth in the motel room.

"Okay, look," she started. "I know how all of this sounds, but I am _not_ insane and I am _not_ on drugs. Okay? I am _normal_, and this is way, _way_ off the map for me." The young woman's voice jumped several octaves as if she was trying to convince not only Sam and Riley of her words but herself as well.

Sam nodded his head, "all right, all right. Just—just calm down, okay?" He said raising his hand up slightly. "What's your name?"

"Ava."

Sam shook his head slightly, "Ava…"

"Ava Wilson."

"All right, Ava. Well, I'm Riley Harvelle and that's Sam Winchester. We aren't going to hurt you, okay? What were you saying about the dreams that you were having? Can you tell us about those?" Riley spoke in a soft, calming voice.

Sam watched how Riley's words had instantly calmed Ava down a bit. He wasn't going to lie, but he felt himself grow somewhat calmer too by hearing her speak. Riley had that kind of effect on people. He knew that she had a big caring heart and he liked to see it in action. Saying she was a good person would be an understatement.

Ava had nodded her head, clearing her throat she started. "Uh, yeah okay… about a year ago I started having these like headaches and just nightmares, I guess." She fumbled for words, not exactly sure how to explain it. But Sam was understanding her perfectly, after all, the same thing happened and still _was_ happening to him. "And I really didn't think much of it until I had this one dream where I saw this guy get stabbed in a parking lot."

"When was that?" Sam asked.

Ava's eyes were on her feet as she tried to think, "uh… about a month ago. But, a couple of days later, I found this." She said, pulling out a piece of a newspaper article that was clearly cut out. The article was about a man who was stabbed to death in a parking lot. Next to the title of the article was the familiar face of Scott Carey—the same man who had the collage of yellow eyes in his bedroom closet. Ava continued, "I saw this guy _die_… _days_ before it happened." She said shakily. "I don't know why—I don't know, it's just for some reason, my dreams are coming true. And last night I had another one."

Riley nodded her head sympathetically, "All right… can you tell us what you saw?"

Ava looked directly at Sam, "It was about you… I saw you die."

Riley's eyes grew wide and her head snapped in Sam's direction. He slowly looked at her with a slightly worried expression. This didn't sound too good. At all.

"How did you find me?" Sam asked, trying his best to remain calm.

Ava stuttered and jumped slightly, "oh! Uh, you had a motel stationary. And I googled the motel, and it was real, and so I just thought I should warn you."

_Well, that's nice._ Riley thought cynically. _Just drive god knows how long to tell some strange man that you watched him die in your dreams and warn him about it. _At least they had the heads up about it though. Now they can keep their eyes open that Sam was in danger. But, of course… they had no idea of what.

"I don't believe this…" Sam said softly, almost in awe.

Both of the women looked at Sam incredulously. Riley, because she was concerned with how he wasn't freaking the hell out that this woman who was probably psychic like him told him that he was going to die. Ava, because she had absolutely no idea that Sam knew what was going on with her. She was one of the psychic children like him.

"Oh! Oh, of course you don't! You think I'm a total nut job!" Ava cried out.

"Wait! No, no, no, I mean, you must be one of us." Sam said to her.

Ava's brows furrowed and she took a glance at Riley who was staring at the two with wide, confused eyes. Turning back to Sam, "Sorry, one of—one of who?"

"One of the psychics. Like me. Look Ava, I have visions too, all right? So we're connected." Sam told Ava, almost excited that he had actually found another psychic—well, technically she found him.

Ava began to laugh hysterically, which caused Sam to frown and Riley to stare oddly at the woman. "Okay… so _you're_ nuts. Thats great."

Riley snorted, causing Sam to glare in her direction. He looked back at Ava, "okay! Okay, look. Did your mother happen to die in a house fire?" He asked hurriedly.

"Christ, Sam… don't be so subtle about it." Riley said sarcastically.

"No! My mother lives in Palm Beach!" Ava yelled, completely confused at the strange questions.

"So you don't fit the pattern either…" Sam said with a frown.

"Palm Beach?" Riley questioned with a quirked brow. She shook her head, "man, what I would for my ass to be sitting on the sand, soaking up the sun right now…"

Both Sam and Ava threw her a look, which caused Riley to roll her eyes. "…What? You can't honestly say that the both of you can't go for a nice long vacation?"

* * *

Ellen had dialed the elder Winchester's number and waited for him to pick up his phone. Even after everything that happened between John, and his sons… Ellen understood what family was and knew that Dean should know if his baby brother is all right. It was the least she could do considering they protected her niece and saved her daughter from the ghost back in Philadelphia.

_"Hello?"_ Dean's gruff voice echoed through the speaker, but Ellen was able to hear the panic and desperation behind it.

"It's Ellen." She replied, leaning her elbows against the counter of the bar.

A sigh could be heard on Dean's end of the line. _"Hey, have you heard from Sam?"_ He questioned hopefully.

She nodded her head even though he couldn't see her. "I have." Ellen stated. "But he made me promise not to tell you where he is." She repeated Sam's words to her before he had left the roadhouse.

Dean had paused on the phone. Of course Sam would say that. And Dean knew he deserved it if Ellen didn't share Sam's location because let's be honest, when Ellen called Dean a couple of weeks back when Jo had upped and left the roadhouse, he had lied about where the Harvelle girl was.

_"Come on, Ellen! Please! Something bad could be going on here and I swore I'd look after that kid!"_ Dean pleaded on the phone.

"Now Dean, they say you can't protect your loved ones forever." Ellen said softly. A small smirk appeared on her lips and after a beat she said, "Well, I say _screw that_! What else is family for? He's in Lafayette, Indiana."

"Thanks Ellen." Dean's voice spoke, full of relief. He was just about to hang up before Ellen spoke once more.

"Oh and Dean?" Ellen said. "He ain't alone either. Riley's with him."

Dean felt himself smirking when Ellen gave him _that_ little detail. He knew that Sam and Riley actually keep in touch here and there; sending text messages or small little phone calls. Oh, Sam is never gonna hear the end of it when he finds his brother. _"Got it. Thanks again, Ellen."_

* * *

A lot had happened over the next twelve hours. Sam had managed to convince Ava to stick around and hopefully figure out why these things were happening to them. The visions. Riley had stayed quiet for most of the conversation that went on between Ava and Sam. She couldn't really say anything about it because she wasn't a special child like they were.

Somehow, Sam had convinced Ava to go talk to the same therapist Scott Carey had been seeing before he was murdered. They needed a distraction while Sam broke in to steal the file. Ava was quick to volunteer Riley to do it, but the Harvelle was going to be everyones eyes in this mission. She had managed to hack into the building security cameras and made a layout of how Sam was going to get in and out with the file in his possession. Sam questioned where she learned how to do stuff like this, causing Riley to simply smirk.

Ash was the one who obviously taught her.

Ava had looked at Riley's truck in astonishment. She had Riley laughing when Ava asked if she worked for the FBI or something. Underneath the seats of her truck, Riley not only had hunting gear, but things a person would have if they were a spy or a secret agent. Both Sam and Ava had wore ear pieces and followed Riley's lead throughout the whole mission.

When they had returned to the motel, Ava had a stunned expression on her face—wide eyes and mouth parted slightly, like she couldn't believe what they had just done. It was true, she couldn't.

Sam looked at her, concerned. "Are you okay?" He asked slowly.

Ava looked at him, her expression befuddled. "Am I okay?" She repeated his question.

Sam nodded, "yeah."

"I just helped you guys steal some dead guy's confidential psych files," Ava replied, deadpan. She paused for a long moment and took in Sam and Riley's expressions. A smile crept on her face, "I'm awesome!"

Riley chuckled and shook her head. Her phone buzzed in her pocket and took a look at who the caller was. Quickly excusing herself, Riley walked outside and answered the call. "Ash? Tell me you got something?"

_"Not yet, Riles." _Ash's voice spoke on the other line. _"Jackson must've picked up a few things from me because he sure knows how to cover his tracks."_

"Great," Riley said with a scoff. "I just need to know he's okay, Ash. The kid just lost his dad. I know how that feels."

_"I know, darlin',"_ Ash said softly. _"I remember when Brian…"_ he couldn't quite get the words out. Everyone at the roadhouse were close and when Brian died, like Bill—it hit everyone pretty hard, but Riles especially. Ash blew out a sigh and continued, _"and the stuff that followed after." _Indicating what state Riley was in for a long time after that horrible night.

Riley nodded her head, "I gotta find him. After everything J's done for me, I owe him that much."

If Ash replied, Riley didn't hear it. A shot rang out of nowhere and the window behind her shattered, causing the Harvelle to throw herself on the ground with her hands over her head, ducking for cover. _What the shit was that?!_

_"Riley!"_ Ash yelled over the phone. _"What happened?!" _

She picked up her phone slowly from where she had dropped it. Riley's eyes wildly swept across her surroundings trying to figure out where the hell that bullet came from. She glanced behind her and saw that Sam and Ava were okay, just shaken up. She squinted as her eyes caught something in the distance. There was a red truck that looked very familiar and drove as if whoever was inside were making a quick get away. As the truck made a left turn down the road, it gave Riley the advantage of seeing the driver and she felt her eyes widen at who she saw. "I'll call you back," Riley said grimly before hanging up and shoving her cellphone in her back pocket.

Sam rushed out the door and when he saw Riley standing there, a huge amount of relief waved through him. "You all right?"

"Define all right," Riley said, eyes still looking in the direction of where the truck went.

"Did you see anything?" Sam asked her.

Riley could only nod her head, "I think Gordon's still pissed about you guys leaving him in his own crap for three days…" she said cautiously. Riley turned to look at Sam and grimaced at his expression. This was not good.

Sam's jaw dropped. "_Gordon_?"

"Yup." She replied.

"I gotta call Dean," Sam said. "I think we definitely need his help."

* * *

After quickly taking a look at the roof, where apparently Gordon was taking his aim from. The trio was not successful in finding anything. Sam was adamant about calling his older brother and informing him about Gordon going all assassin on him. The Winchester paced back and forth in the motel room with his cellphone on the table on speaker phone, waiting for Dean to pick up. Both Riley and Ava were staring at the phone intently, waiting to hear the brother's voice echo on the speaker.

_"Hello?"_ Dean answered casually, which raised suspicion for Riley. No way in hell was Dean this calm.

"Dean!" Sam jumped at the sound of his brother's voice.

_"Sam, I've been looking for you."_

"Yeah… look I'm in Indiana, uh Lafayette." Sam informed him, sounding slightly guilty for leaving his brother like he did.

_"I know."_

That made Sam furrow his brows and spare a glance at Riley, who had her eyes glued to the cellphone on the table. "You do?" He questioned slowly.

_"Yeah, I talked to Ellen. Just got here myself…"_ Dean said, voice trailing off. _"It's a real funky town. You ditched me, Sammy."_

Riley felt bad when she heard Dean say that. His voice sounded weird on the phone and it was obvious that something was up because Sam had gone noticeably stiff when he heard Dean's reply.

"Yeah… I'm sorry. Look, right now there's someone after me." Sam said. Riley furrowed her brows at him, wondering why he didn't say that it was Gordon.

_"What? Who?" _

Sam looked at Riley pointedly, mentally telling her not to say anything about Gordon. "I don't know, that's what we need to find out. Where are you?"

Dean paused for a moment before speaking again, _"I'm staying at… uh, 5637 Monroe Street. Why don't you meet me here?" _

Sam nodded his head as he picked up the phone from the table, "yeah, sure." He hung up the phone and spun to face Riley and Ava, a grim look on his face.

"What is it?" Ava asked.

"My brother's in trouble."

"What?" Ava practically screeched.

"You think Gordon has him?" Riley asked, getting up from her seat at the table.

"He gave me a codeword. We would say it if someone has a gun on one of us." Sam stated casually. Riley understood immediately, but Ava didn't.

"Codeword?" Ava asked incredulously.

Sam nodded his head, "yeah. Funkytown."

Both Riley and Ava stared at Sam with odd looks on their faces. It was definitely a strange choice for a codeword. Sam looked beside himself and decided to give an explanation. "Well, he thought of it. It's kind of a… long story, I—come on…" Sam said, officially giving up on what he was going to say.

"You realize this is a trap for you, right?" Riley asked, looking at Sam with her big brown eyes. She watched Sam nod his head slightly as the three of them walked towards Ava's blue beetle car.

"Yeah… I know," the younger Winchester grimly replied. He then turned to Ava, "you have to leave here as fast as you can."

Riley felt her brows raise in surprise. She knew that she shouldn't exactly be surprised. Sam was just trying to get the innocents to safety. Ava didn't have anything to do with Gordon. But she was a special child like Sam. And another special child was just stabbed in the same area, so it was best if Ava just got out of dodge.

Ava looked at Sam and at the drivers side door that he had opened for her. "I don't think I should leave," she said shakily.

"I want you out of harms way, Ava," was Sam's reply. He then glanced at Riley, "you should probably get out of here too, Ri. You said it yourself that you and Gordon have a past." He pointed out to her.

Riley rolled her eyes, "Sam, we don't even know for sure if Gordon is the one holding your brother, just that he was trying to assassinate you like-like JFK or something!" She huffed a breath and looked at Sam, "you _need_ help. So let me help you."

"You don't get it, you are walking straight into my vision, Sam! I mean—this is how you _die_!" Ava cried out.

"Doesn't matter," Sam said determinedly. "It's my brother."

Ava glanced between the two hunters, unsure of what she should do. "Maybe I could help!" She offered, voice raising several octaves. "You can use another person to help with this!"

Riley sighed, "Ava… you've done everything you can. Go home to your fiancé and get those wedding invitations done." The blonde said with a small smirk growing on her lips.

"A-are you _sure_?"

"Yes. Go home, Ava. You'll be safe there," Sam said, his relief building when she reluctantly got in the car and closed the door.

"Well… just promise me that you'll call then… I mean—when you get your brother—just let me know that everything's all right." Ava stuttered out, meeting Sam's eyes with her worried ones.

Sam smiled slightly, "I promise."

The two watched the beetle drive away into the night silently. Sam turned to face Riley, "we need a plan."

Riley smirked, " how do you feel about being a fellow citizen who's trying to make his town a safer place to live in?"

* * *

They pulled up to the address that the elder Winchester had given them over the phone just several hours ago. It was dark and eerie. The house or cabin was old and practically falling apart. The shingles were barely hanging on and faded in color. What really bothered Riley was the silence.

She always enjoyed the comfort silence had given her. It allowed her to search through her mind and put herself at ease. But this silence was different. It was like the calm before the storm. The air even felt wrong. An idiot would know that there was something off about this place. And there was.

It just so happened that the psychopath, Gordon Walker, was just inside with Dean Winchester being held captive, awaiting for Sam to walk into his trap.

What a freaking whacko.

Riley took a deep breath and glanced to her left to look at Sam. His entire body was tense and it was easy to tell that he was nervous. Hell, a girl—presumed to be psychic had just told him that by walking inside that house would result in his death. Riley would be afraid too.

"You ready?" Riley asked quietly.

Sam nodded his head and the two of them slowly crept their way closer to the front entrance, surveying the place before they make the next move. Sam swore softly when he had spotted Dean through the cracks of the front door, tied to a chair with a gag successfully shutting him up. And surprise, surprise, there was Gordon waiting for Sam Winchester to grace him with his presence.

Riley pursed her lips as her mind raced to try and formulate a plan, quick. She turned to Sam, "you are going to go through the back entrance. Distract jerky-poo while I get your brother untied, okay?" She said to him. Sam nodded his head, giving a small "okay." Riley grabbed Sam's arm just as he was about to leave. He turned to her with a frown on his face, wondering why she had stopped him. Riley looked at Sam straight in the eye and he could see the concern in her own eyes as well as the tone in her voice when she whispered the two words to him: "don't die."

A small smile appeared on his lips, it was barely noticeable but Riley caught it. "I won't." With that being said, he pushed himself up out of his crouching position and slowly made his way around the house towards the back entrance.

Riley gulped and tried to shake her nerves away, focusing on the task at hand: get Dean Winchester out of that chair without getting caught by Gordon.

She didn't expect the sudden explosion and she threw herself down on the ground, covering her head with her hands in attempt to protect herself. It wasn't long until a second explosion went off and more debris fell on her. She heard Dean cry through his gag for his brother. She heard Gordon's attempt at sympathy. Riley prayed to whoever was listening that Sam was alive and that Ava's vision hadn't become a reality, because if it did… she wasn't sure what she would do.

A sly smile tugged at her lips when she heard Sam's voice, ordering Gordon to drop his gun. Then there were clear signs of a struggle between the two hunters. That was Riley's cue to get in there and help Dean. She quietly opened the front door and rushed to the elder Winchester with her pocket knife ready to cut through his bonds. "Hang on, Dean." She muttered as the knife sliced through the thick rope. Just as Dean got out of the chair he had been confined to, Sam walked in, a little worse for wear.

Dean went straight for his baby brother and checked him over, noticing the several gashes and marks that he had received from Gordon. Rage boiling inside him, Dean tried to move passed Sam and was quickly pushed back. "That son of a—"

"No," Sam said tiredly.

"I let him live once!" Dean all but shouted. "I am not making the same mistake twice."

Riley went towards the brothers and grabbed one of their arms, pulling them towards the exit. "Come on. Gordon's taken care of. We've gotta go."

The three of them rushed down the steps from the cabin and heading towards the car. Shots suddenly rung out and they spotted Gordon with a gun in each hand, firing endlessly at them. Sam, Dean, and Riley all threw themselves down on the grass, ducking for cover. _This is the third damn time I am ducking for cover today… what the hell?_ Riley thought to herself.

"Come on! You call this taken care of?!" Dean shouted over the gunshots. "What the hell are we doing?!"

"Just trust us on this, all right?" Sam said back, his eyes meeting with Riley.

Gordon began to walk closer to the trio, his face morphed into nothing but anger, "you can't hide, Winchesters!" He hollered. "Neither can you Harvelle!"

The sudden sounds of sirens blaring startled Gordon and his eyes immediately grew wide at the sight of the three police vehicles that were pulling up, surrounding him.

"Drop your weapons, get down on your knees!"

"Do it. _Now_!"

Riley and Sam shared a smirk and then noticed the eldest Winchester grinning at the two of them.

"Put your hands on your head!" An officer shouted.

The three of them watched as Gordon was placed in handcuffs and forcibly led to one of the several squad cars. Another officer had approached Gordon's truck and discovered all the weaponry he had stored away. Yep, Gordy was definitely screwed.

"Anonymous tip," Sam said offhandedly.

Dean's smirk only grew wider, "you two are fine upstanding citizens."

"Well, there's one less looney off the street," Riley said with a smile.

_Good riddance, Gordon Walker._

* * *

"Only you and your family know about Sam's secret… Gordon said he had roadhouse connections! And from what I understand, you work at the roadhouse!" Dean snapped angrily at the youngest Harvelle.

Riley couldn't believe what she was hearing. They had driven back to the motel where Sam and Riley had been holding up while they were searching for information on the special children along with Ava. The Winchesters and Riley now stood outside in the parking lot in the middle of a heated conversation. Dean had actually accused her of spilling Sam's big secret of being one of the special children. And to _Gordon_? The crazy ass person she had just helped save his life from? Was he high?

"You honestly think we would tell _anyone_ that?" Riley asked softly. "None of us would _ever_ breathe a word about this." Her voice sounded hurt, and it was evident in her facial expression.

Sam leaned on the hood of the impala, and watched his brother and Riley go at it about spilling the family secret. He knew it wasn't Riley, but maybe Jo said something? Ellen? Ash, when he was in a drunken state? Who knows.

"Well, who else knows, Riley?!" Dean shouted, making Riley flinch back slightly. "I mean, one of you must have been talking to somebody!"

"You can call me and my family a lot of things, Dean. But disloyal ain't one of them," Riley said, growing angry herself that she and her family were being accused of this.

"Gordon said he had roadhouse connections, Riley. So, why don't you explain _that_ to me." Dean repeated again.

Riley exploded, "Dean, you realize that you and Sam aren't the _only_ hunters that come to the roadhouse! The place is _full_ of other hunters—other hunters that are fully capable of piecing this kind of stuff together! They're all smart and good trackers, just like you! Hell, I can name twelve of them right now that would be able to make the connections!" Dean was taken aback by Riley's outburst. "Oh, and just so you're aware… we ain't the only roadhouse out there that have… _connections_. There are other places where hunters hold up. So before you start pointing fingers, you should get your damn ducks in a row."

She huffed and spun around so her back was facing Dean. She was annoyed with both of the brothers. With Dean because he was accusing her family of something that they would never do. And with Sam because she knows that he knew about her and Gordon's story. She had warned Sam months ago to stay away from Gordon Walker and now these two had the balls to accuse her of spilling their secrets to him? In what world did that make sense?

Her phone vibrated in her back pocket and she went to look at the caller ID. She also noticed Dean opening his mouth to say something, but she cut him off by waving her index finger in the air, telling him to wait.

"What do ya got for me, Ash," Riley asked as she pressed the phone to her ear, glaring in Dean's direction.

_"Heya, Riles… uh, I tracked J-man down."_

"Great, where is he? I owe him an ass-whooping," Riley said, trying her best to hide her anger.

Both of the Winchesters watched Riley's expression change and neither of them liked what they saw. She immediately told Ash that she would see to it and call him as soon as she finds Jackson. Shoving her phone back into her pocket and throwing her duffle back over her shoulder, Riley looked back at the boys. "Look… I'm sorry about what happened here, Dean. But, I can't control these people, okay? I can't tell them what to believe and what not to…" She blew out a sigh, "I gotta head out and find J before he makes the biggest mistake of his life."

Just as Riley reached her truck, Sam called out to her, "Riley! Wait!" She turned to face him with a raised brow. His breathing was a bit faster since he jogged after her as he said, "I wanted to say thank you for what you did… you didn't have to come, but you did… and if you weren't here, Dean, me or the both of us could've gotten killed. So… thank you."

Riley nodded her head, not being able to meet his eyes, "you're welcome." She said softly.

"And… just so you know, I know you guys wouldn't say anything about this stuff… Dean just gets worried. I mean, we barely have any idea what this stuff is," Sam said to her. Riley knew that his words were true, but the fact that she was even accused of something like that still hurt.

She numbly nodded her head, "I know. It's fine." She patted the side of Sam's arm and tried to give a smile. Sam saw it, but noticed it didn't quite reach her eyes. He knew her mind wasn't totally there because of whatever Ash had said to her over the phone. Sam wasn't going to pry, especially after the whole scene that his brother had caused several minutes before. The younger Winchester knew that he had to tell Dean the history between the Harvelles and Gordon, so he could understand.

Sam just hoped that Riley would have it in her to forgive them for what's been said tonight.

* * *

He was at a crossroads. Literally. The small aluminum box that held all the ingredients for a demon summoning was held in his hand. Jackson needed answers. He looked up at the dark, cloudy sky. Not one star could be seen. Why would his dad do this to him? Didn't he know how much pain it was going to cause his only son, knowing that he had gone to hell for him? Eric should have let him die. He was _supposed _to die.

It felt like eternity when Riley had ordered him to set up the pryer for his father's traditional hunter funeral while she wrapped up what was left of Eric's corpse with sheets. She had refused to let Jackson come inside and see his father torn to shreds. She couldn't do that to him. They sat on the ground and listened to the burning crackling sounds the fire made as it slowly turned everything on the pryer to ash. Neither of them said a word. They just watched. It must've been two in the morning when everything was over. Riley had opened up every window in the cabin to air out the stench of rotting flesh. It didn't really fade when they went inside to gather some things before heading back to the roadhouse.

One thing Jackson needed to get his hands on was his father's journal. The man wrote his life story in that book. If he could get any answers, it would be from his journal. Jackson almost laughed when he noticed how several of the entries had been torn out. Such a coincidence that it was those pages he had intended to read. In a fit of rage, Jackson had taken a swing at the lamp on his father's desk and it collided with the wall, shattering into a million pieces. He didn't regret it though. Because by shattering the lamp, he found the missing pages crimped up inside. He stuffed the, into his back pocket before Riley could come in and see the mess. She scolded him for it and then told him that they were leaving.

He hugged Ellen and watched several tears fall on her face over the death of his father. She and Eric were close friends. Even Ellen was hurt that he had never told another soul about his crossroads deal. Ash had given him a pat on the back and told him he was sorry for his loss. Death was strange. Everyone will eventually die, but for some reason, none of us are prepared to let go. Maybe things would have been easier knowing Eric was resting in peace in heaven, but no. His soul resided in hell, tortured for the rest of eternity.

It had taken him a week to read those journal entries. One week. And after he read them, he wished he never had. If his father hadn't become a hunter, he would have made a fine writer. His entires were explicitly detailed and Jackson wished he didn't know the details anymore. What was he thinking it would accomplish by reading this? It made him feel worse, honestly. His father had written every action he took before, during, and after the deal was made. He had the option of only saving one. His wife or his son. Eric had written that Mara would have wanted Jackson to live. He was only eight years old after all. He had barely lived at all. He wrote about the tears he shed when he watched his son open his big blue eyes once more and how it was probably the most bittersweet moment he ever had in his life. Because he would only have ten more years of looking in his son's eyes.

Jackson read the very last entry his father had written. Ironically, it had actually been the last page of his journal. It was hours before his clock was up and Jackson had just left to go back to the roadhouse to meet Riley for another case. Eric had written how he looked in his son's eyes for the last time and he couldn't be any prouder of the man he's become. He wrote that as much as he didn't want to spend eternity in hell, looking at his son now... he didn't regret it. Not for a second. The last lines of the journal said: _Living life as a hunter, we have to make difficult choices. Whether or not we stand by the choices we make is entirely up to you. Me? In my last waking hours, I don't regret any of the choices I made in my forty seven years of living. We all are going to die bloody. But at least I know that my son is alive and I had gotten the opportunity to spend my last ten years with him. I looked in my son's blue eyes for the last time tonight. Even though I'm going downstairs once the clock strikes twelve, I know I'll be okay. And I know Jackson will be too._

It was that night that he left the roadhouse to be alone. The next several days were a blur and now here he was. Standing at the crossroads. Not sure of anything.

"Jackson?" A voice called him from behind.

Startled, Jackson spun around to face the newcomer. "Riley?"

She took notice of his red rimmed eyes and the dark bags under them. God knows how long it had been since Jackson had gotten sleep. "What are you doing?" Riley asked softly, cautiously taking a few steps closer.

"I _need_ to get him out of there, Ri. I have to." Jackson's voice was pleading.

Riley shook her head slowly. She understood his pain. She wasn't that far off from him when her father died. Although, the circumstances were different, the pain of losing a parent will always hurt. "Jackson... not like this." She said softly. "Not like _this_." Riley repeated, barely above a whisper.

"Tell me what I'm supposed to do. I need to know what to do, Riley!" He grew hysterical. "He's in hell! That's on _me_!"

"It ain't on you, J!" Riley yelled back. "Your dad made the deal! As harsh as it may sound, he made his bed and now he's gotta lie in it! He did what he had to in order to _save _you!" Her voice lowered slightly, "don't destroy everything he did for you."

"I didn't ask for this!" Tears were freely falling down Jackson's face now. "He should've never made that deal." He said, shaking his head.

"But he did. He gave you another chance at life, J. Let it be worth it. That means actually _living_ it, Jackson. Making another deal will get you nowhere." She pointed out. "You know why? Because once your ass gets sent downstairs, Eric will be standing where you are, pulling your ass out of the fire!"

"You don't know that—"

"I do, Jackson. Don't forget that your dad wasn't and isn't the only person you have in your corner... you got Ellen, Jo, Ash and me, remember? You can't go anywhere. You _can't_." Riley told him, her own eyes beginning to tear. Grief made people do some pretty crazy things and it broke Riley's heart that Jackson was having a hard time dealing.

They stared at each other for a moment that felt like an eternity before Jackson dropped the box and pulled Riley into a tight embrace. His whole body shook as he squeezed the young woman he considered a sister.

"You're gonna be okay, J. You got me." Riley whispered soothingly in his ear. "You always got me."

Neither of them knew how long they stood out there. It began to downpour and both of them rushed to their trucks. Riley had jumped in Jackson's blue jeep while he hopped in the drivers seat. The only thing that could be heard was the rain against the windshield.

"I think I'm going to go to the cabin and clean everything up. Bring those books from the library to Bobby Singer. I know he'd definitely want them." Jackson said, breaking the silence.

Riley nodded her head slightly. Bobby and Eric were actually good friends and he was defintely going to be saddened by the news of his death. Staring out the window. "Do you want me to come with you?" She questioned softly. She turned to look at him and saw a tiny smile on his face as he shook his head 'no.'

"I know you want to help... and you did. If you hadn't come when you did..." Jackson blew out a sigh. "I would have made a big mistake." Looking at Riley, he said, "I need some time, Ri. But I'm not gonna shut you out this time. All I ask is to give me some time."

"You scared me before... I thought I was too late at first when I got there," Riley whispered. "Don't _ever_ do that again." She warned.

"I won't."

Riley swallowed deeply and nodded her head. "Good."

* * *

_One month later._

It was barely sunrise when she pulled up in front of the roadhouse. The first thing she noticed was the absence of Ellen's pickup truck and parked in its place was a rental. Riley felt her forehead crease in confusion, wondering what the hell was up. She turned off the ignition and threw her duffle over her shoulder. Riley looked at the front door, which was slightly ajar. Pulling her pistol out from her lower back, the young Harvelle pushed the door open wide with caution and eyed her surroundings. She was really in for a surprise.

Sitting with his back facing her was a man, probably in his mid thirties. He had short dirty blonde hair and she watched his head tip back as he swallowed a shot he had obviously poured for himself. Riley raised her gun in his direction, prepared to shoot if necessary. "Hey buddy, in case you haven't noticed, place is _closed_." She said, voice rough.

Her eyes grew wide when the stranger spun to face her from his seat. She met familiar green eyes who should be over seas, back in England. Riley nearly did a double take. "A-Arthur?" She questioned, shocked that the man was sitting in front of her. What the hell was he doing here? Did something else happen? Her mind raced with the worst possible case scenarios.

Still sitting on the stool holding his now empty shot glass, merely smirking at Riley's shock-filled gaze. He knew that she would be surprised that he had traveled all this way to America. His eyes had that special glint they always had. In his english accent, he greeted the hunter who was gaping at him.

"Well _hello_ there, love. It's been a while."

* * *

**Well! There you have it! Chapter six done! Hopefully I left all of you in some suspense… hehe. Any guesses who this new mystery character is and what he wants? Here is a hint: they met during Riley's trip to England just before the story started! ;) I hope this chapter was enjoyable for you! Please share the excitement with your follows, favorites, and reviews! Also, finals are coming up and these professors of mine are going all out with term papers, exams and projects... so the next update may not be until mid December. :'( Love you guys!**

**PS: If you go to my profile and look under this story, you'll see links with chapter titles, if you click them, it will link you to the photos and gifs I posted for that chapter! So go check it out! Once a new chapter is published, it will be added on there as well.**


	8. The Crying Boy

**A/N: **_Hello again darlings! Happy late New Year and so sorry for such a late update! Since November Jeez! This chapter was such a bitch to write and I spent countless freaking hours working on it so I hope the wait was worth it! I apologize for any errors that you may find and feel free to point them out to me so they can be corrected! Also, for those who are seriously enjoying this story, good news: I am elongating this story! WHOOP! I had a bunch of ideas of original cases that I really wanted to write and I can't wait! So rather than the original eleven chapters, I now have planned out fifteen—not including the extras chapter that will be posted once the story is finished. I tried to stick close to the timeline in the show so all the episodes that Riley does not feature in will still have taken place. If you guys have anything you wish to see, let me know and I can see what I can do! Big thank you to all my new followers and to those who favorited and reviewed! You make me want to write more! :) Well, here is chapter seven! Enjoy! xx_

* * *

**_Chapter Seven: _****The Crying Boy**

_"Well hello there, love. It's been a while." _

Riley's jaw dropped open as she stared at the man in front of her. She took in his appearance; his dirty blonde hair was slicked back slightly, he wore a grey button down shirt that had one too many buttons undone with a black suit jacket thrown over it. He completed his look with a nice pair of jeans and of course, the highly priced shoes. Riley knew exactly who this man was, they had met in England after all. It was because of this man that she had traveled all the way there, actually. When he had contacted her, Riley was informed that this man was a hunter. He isn't—far from ever being one, truthfully. His very presence irked her and she so wished that she could throw him through a glass window and watch him have a meltdown over the scratch he would've gotten on his Loubutins.

It wouldn't have surprised Riley if he cried. This happened before in England when Riley tripped over his foot. He bitched and was near tears for a good forty minutes before Riley threatened to cram rock salt up his ass if he didn't stop. She was prepared to leave his dumb, sorry ass and go explore England since she was already there. But this jackass didn't make it easy. Apparently, he was screwing a witch… and the rest of her coven. If Riley learned anything in England, it is that the supernatural creatures were much more twisted and sadistic than the average American ones. Riley felt herself cringe just thinking about some of the things she witnessed while she was there.

Luckily, Riley managed to save him from four witches. How she was able to do it—she still didn't know. He cracked jokes saying that she must've had a guardian angel perched on her shoulder or something because the five foot three blonde had done the impossible. She barked out a laugh and told him that there were no such thing as angels. If there were, the world wouldn't be as dark as it is. People wouldn't be so cruel. Monsters wouldn't kill the innocent. There would be peace. That was if angels existed, anyway.

"What are you _doing_ here, Arthur?" Riley growled out, glaring at his stupid, annoying face.

"Ah. I missed that snarky little attitude of yours." Arthur said. "Always so feisty..." he purred.

"Up yours," Riley snapped, quickly losing her patience. What an ass. She tossed her duffle on the floor and stomped towards the bar with a fierce expression. "Why are you here?" Riley asked angrily.

"Can't an old friend stop by to say hello while he's on holiday?" Arthur grinned innocently. When Riley's expression didn't change, his own began to falter. "All right, all right. Fine you got me. Happy?" He said rolling his eyes, now annoyed.

"I wasn't fooled. Jesus Christ himself would have to walk the earth again if you actually made friends." Riley replied, tone sarcastic.

"You wound me, love."

"Don't call me that." Riley huffed in annoyance and glared at the British man in front of her. "What do you want, Arthur? Did you screw around with another coven? Or is it a pack of werewolves this time?"

Arthur scoffed, "I think I learned my lesson the first time, Riley. Even though the sex was magical, I'm not too fond of my women actually _being_ magical."

Riley made a face at that, "_ugh_—you're disgusting."

"I'm a handsome lad, Riley Harvelle," he said knowingly, a grin appearing on his lips. "Unfortunately, there are no women involved this time, doll. No. I'm here, gracing you with my presence because of a cursed object that had gotten away so to speak."

"_What_ cursed object?"

"The crying boy painting."

_...The what?_ Riley stared at Arthur incredulously. And just what the hell was that? Did she hear him right? "Excuse me?" She said, brows raised high.

Pursing his lips, Arthur jumped off the stool and began to pace slightly as he spoke of the painting. "I hope you're ready for story time, darling. Because this is definitely going to be an interesting one." He said, pausing to look at her.

Riley rolled her eyes and shrugged her shoulders, "it's not as though I have places to be at six thirty four in the morning." She grumbled as she spared a glance at her watch. "Go ahead," she told him as she leaned against the bar counter.

"Right. Well, there was this Italian artist by the name of Giovanni Bragolin. He was famous for painting the portrait of a crying young lad sometime in the fifties. A lot of copies were made of that painting and sold like bread on Sundays." Arthur began.

Riley held back from rolling her eyes again. Arthur always had this certain way of speaking, where he sounded like one of those annoying employees that would explain artifacts in a museum. She was beyond exhausted from the drive back to the roadhouse. Riley had finished up a case that she worked by herself—she was already scolded for it because hunting alone was an easy way of getting killed. Bobby harshly reminded her when she stopped by the salvage yard to visit Jackson. He was spending some time with the older hunter, going through his father's book collection… and there were _a lot_ to be looked over.

Jackson had obviously felt bad for not being out there with Riley and he did nothing but apologize while she was there. She told him to stop being stupid and to just hang back for a little while longer. It had only been a month since that horrible night at the crossroads, the demon deal that Jackson almost made, the realization that Jackson was not taking his father's death well. But who would? Especially what the circumstances were. Eric didn't die on a hunt, fighting for his life. He was ripped to shreds by hellhounds because of a demon deal he made ten years ago to save his son. And no one even knew. He was dying and he didn't tell another soul. And he would suffer in hell for the rest of eternity because he rather give his son the opportunity to live his life than him be alone in this horrible and corrupt world.

"Anyhow..." the British man continued, pulling Riley out of her thoughts. "In 1985, _The Sun_—that's a British newspaper, if you didn't know." Arthur pointed out with a smirk.

This time, Riley did roll her eyes. She had been in England for almost three months. She lived there for quite sometime, of course she was going to know the name of that newspapers—she did look through it many times to find some cases after she worked with Arthur after all.

"They had reported that a fireman claimed to have found these printed copies in multiple houses that were consumed by fire. The thing was... those paintings? They were left unmarked. Perfectly fine." _That_ caught Riley's attention.

"Well, that's not normal." Riley commented.

"No," Arthur said, shaking his head. "No it's not. The firefighters began to panic then. Fire after fire, men were finding the painting of the crying boy with not even a burn mark, but the walls of the houses it hung on were turned to ash. They no longer allowed the paintings in their homes. More such incidents of the prints being unscathed in house fires, both before and after the article was published. More of them were reported. And then out of the blue, a story was passed down the grapevine that the painting was actually an orphan boy whose home had been burned down to the ground. House fire. Sound familiar?" He asked with a quirked brow.

"Yeah, Arthur. I get it." The Harvelle replied, annoyed. She didn't think it was a cursed object, but the ghost of the boy that was probably trapped here, unable to move on and into the afterlife because of the painting. Even though they burned the other copies, as long as the original is still intact, he would still be stuck here. Or that was the only conclusion that Riley could think of with the given information that she received.

"Good, because that's all I've got." Arthur said with a shrug.

"Arthur," Riley said with a tired sigh. "Sounds like a ghost is trapped in the painting… that is if your story is the right one. But, one thing I don't understand is why the hell would you come all the way to _America_ to tell me this? You aren't a hunter. And I very much doubt that you are going to go wherever the hell this painting is and salt and burn it—if that is even the case."

He gave her a pointed look. "Did you forget who lives in England, darling? Oh that's right—_me_. I do. These fires started in England. Most of the prints were destroyed by now, their owners or whoever found them burned them. I'm betting my kickers that it was hunters like you that probably salted and burned the sodding things. Rumor is, the original is in the states." Arthur stated.

"_Great_." Riley said, voice dripping with sarcasm. Leaning against the bar, Riley said, "what I wanna know is why the hell would anyone want to hang a painting of a crying kid on their wall in the first place? Who does that?"

"You pose a very interesting question, darling. I'd say ask them, but you know, they're dead." Arthur said, deadpan. It was a poor attempt at a joke, but Riley didn't find it funny. But then again, Riley never found Arthur's sense of humor to actually be funny.

Out of nowhere, Riley was overcome with dizziness. Her eyes went in and out of focus as she tried to concentrate on Arthur's face, but failed miserably. She let out a grunt, squeezing her eyes shut and putting most of her weight on the bar in attempt to keep her steady. The feeling dulled down and Riley pulled herself up, breathing heavy. _What the hell was that? _"Jesus..." She muttered, rubbing her forehead.

Arthur was eyeing her wearily, "you all right, love?" He asked, sounding quite concerned.

Riley clenched her jaw and roll her eyes, ignoring the dull, throbbing pain in her head hat had seemed to come out of nowhere. She looked at Arthur pointedly, "shut up. Where is this painting supposed to be?"

* * *

"So this guy in Ohio has it?" Riley asked from the passenger seat of Arthur's rental. After the little dizzy spell she had back at the roadhouse, Riley refused to drive and yelled at Arthur that it was his brilliant idea to track down this thing in the first place so he should be the one driving. "What's his name? Peter O' Connell?

"Indeed love, he does." Arthur replied smoothly. "We need to get our hands on the original and salt and burn the crap out of it."

"Can I ask why you are treating this case like you're on a holy mission?" Riley asked with a raised brow. She wanted to know his motive. Arthur didn't do things out of the goodness of his little black heart. If it benefited him, yes, but tracking down a _painting_? Riley knew that this whole gig was off.

Arthur clenched his jaw and his expression darkened slightly as he stared at the road in front of him. Riley noticed how his body immediately tensed and his grip on the steering wheel tightened. He didn't say anything for a few minutes and Riley thought that maybe he just wasn't going to answer the question. It surprised her when Arthur spoke, "a family member of mine had it, and when he died, it went to another family member… and then him and his wife and children died too." His eyes never left the road once. "There is a reason why I am all by my lonesome, love," he pointed out. Then Arthur's voice suddenly changed from calm and collective to angry and upset in the matter of seconds. "It's because I don't actually have much family since that damned painting killed the majority of them _off_!"

Riley was stunned into silence as she stared at Arthur with wide, sad eyes. "I'm sorry," she whispered after a long, quiet minute.

"We all are," Arthur growled.

To say that the next few hours in the car wasn't spent in awkward silence would be a complete lie. Riley felt sorry for Arthur once she heard what had happened to his family—the majority of them anyway. Soon as they crossed the borders of Ohio, Arthur announced that they were to find a hotel, rest up until morning and then they will set out their search for the painting. Riley didn't argue, she was beyond exhausted. Her body ached everywhere and she felt off. Maybe she was coming down with something, but hopefully a few hours of sleep will do her some good, if she could actually fall asleep that is.

Riley felt her eyes widen at the sight of the fancy hotel Arthur's rental drove towards. How the hell were they going to pay for a place like this? She looked at Arthur questionably, "uh, Arthur? Where are you going?"

Obviously still in a pissed-off mood, Arthur rolled his eyes, "darling, did you happen to go deaf when I told you that we were going to rest up before heading out to find Mr. O' Connell?" He asked her slowly, as if he was parenting a child.

Riley glared at him, "I can hear just fine, thanks. I meant what are we doing here? Do you think I can pull bags of money out of my ass or something because—" Riley started, but she was abruptly cut off when Arthur spoke rather harshly, "Don't you lot have credit cards with a never-ending limit? I don't understand why you rather rest your little blonde head on a pillow that should be burned along with the rest of the dump considering that they are all hazards to your health."

"Newsflash Einstein, they won't work here. Unlike the _dumps_ where we stay, these guys do credit check. Believe me, if hunters could have the luxury of staying in a place like this, they would." Riley bit out.

Arthur smirked, "well good thing I brought my own card then. You can enjoy the backseat of my rental if you like. I am going to check myself in." He went to go open the door of his rental, but he paused to listen to Riley's reaction.

Her head snapped in Arthur's direction, "the _back seat_?" She asked incredulously. "Are you _insane_?!"

"Are you asking for me to pay for your own room, darling?" He asked with the raise of a brow.

"I'm not asking," Riley growled out. "You dragged my ass out of my home to go on some freaking scavenger hunt at six-thirty in the morning. You want to stay at some fancy ass hotel? Fine. But you damn well be paying for my room or I will just take myself straight back to Nebraska and you can find the friggin' painting on your own."

Arthur scoffed, "you obviously can't take a joke."

"Oh I can," Riley said easily. "But… you weren't joking."

"Is that so?"

"Yep."

The two of them had gotten out of Arthur's rental and were greeted by a bell-boy who had immediately grabbed Riley's duffle bag and Arthur's designer suitcase, placing it on one of those luggage carrier cart things. Riley stared at the cart and made a face. _This is so weird._ It was definitely by far the nicest place Riley had ever stayed in. If Riley could describe the hotel, she would say that it was your average cliche hotel that you would see in a movie or something. If that makes sense. She watched Arthur speak to the woman at the check-in desk, handing her his credit card with a smirk.

"How are you enjoying Ohio, miss?" The bell-boy asked, pulling Riley out of her thoughts.

She looked at him, surprised that he had even spoke to her in the first place. She took in his appearance, in a red suit that was pressed, wearing black shoes that were freshly shined, and then the little red hat that covered most of his blonde hair. His blue eyes gazed into hers and Riley could tell that his words were sincere—that there was no motive behind his actions. He genuinely wanted to have a normal conversation with her. He wore a little name tag that read: Thomas. For some strange reason, this guy reminded Riley of Jackson. He had young features—probably eighteen or nineteen years old, trying to work while going to school or something. He put on a small smile as he leaned forward on the luggage cart, his hands gripping the gold bars. Riley felt like she was looking at her best friend.

She found that she didn't even have to force a smile, "it's been good, thanks. Not my first time though."

Riley watched Thomas blink and nod his head slightly, the small smile never leaving his face. "Oh, you've stayed with us before?" He asked, voice sounding hopeful.

Riley chuckled and shook her head, "uh no, I hate to say that this is my first time staying here for the first time. You guys run a beautiful place here." She said as she made a hand gesture around the room.

Thomas let out a chuckle of his own and nodded his head, "I thought so. I would've remembered if someone as beautiful as you stayed here."

Riley felt her cheeks flush and she immediately looked down to the floor. It wasn't that she didn't appreciate the compliment or anything, but she felt like she was speaking to her little brother. She felt like she was speaking to Jackson. When she looked back up, Thomas wore a sincere smile and he tore his eyes away from her, looking in the direction of the check-in desk where Arthur was now walking away from and heading towards them.

She nodded her head at Thomas, "thank you." She said with a small smile of her own.

Arthur walked up next to Riley and wrapped an arm around her waist, pulling her closer to him. "There you are, love!" He said, a smirk evident on his lips. He bent down and kissed her cheek, "you ready for bed?" He asked, wagging his brows and his smirk grew bigger.

_Don't punch him in the face. _Riley kept repeating to herself. _Just wait until you get inside the room. Then you can punch him in the can even kick him in the balls._ She noticed the smile on the bell-boy's face had fallen when he took in the sight of her and Arthur. Even though she would never pursue the kid, she didn't want to throw that in his face. And of course, Arthur had done just that. She pushed herself away from Arthur and gave him a hardened look, "yeah. I'm exhausted." She growled out.

The three of them got into the elevator and they all stood in an awkward silence, the only noise that was heard, was the soft elevator music that played in the small silvery space. A bell rung when they reached their destination and the elevator doors opened. Thomas had let the two of them walk out first, then lugging the cart out of the elevator and down the hall in the direction of their room.

When they reached the door, Riley pulled out a twenty dollar bill and gave it to the blonde young man. "Thank you, Thomas." Riley said sincerely. She watched as the boy stared at the piece of paper in shock before slowly, hesitantly taking the bill out of Riley's grip.

"N-no. Thank you." Thomas stuttered out, nodding his head in thanks before dragging the cart away down the hall, disappearing from Riley's view after he turned a corner.

Arthur let out a scoff as he entered the elegant looking room. "You know tipping the bell-boy is optional, correct?"

Riley closed the door slowly, her glare aimed at the back of Arthur's head, making a shooting motion with her hand and directing her shots towards him. Her patience was wearing thin. Riley strut forward and slapped Arthur on the back of his head _hard._ The slap echoing throughout the room. She watched Arthur bend down slightly, mouth agape, letting out a silent scream in pain, before whirling around to face the short, five-foot-three dirty blonde girl with his own harsh glare.

"What in the holy hell was _that_?!" Arthur screeched. His face flustered red from anger.

"That was for being a dick!" Riley shouted back before grabbing her duffle and heading towards the bathroom, slamming the door closed loudly.

She threw the bag on the floor and leaned against the sink, her hands turning white from the tight grip she held on the edge of the polished white marble. Riley glared at her own reflection in the mirror; not liking the darkened bags that rested under her eyes from lack of sleep. She was lucky if she was getting at least six hours a week this days. The past month had been rough on the young Harvelle and everything that had been going on was starting to take its toll.

She felt herself squinting at her reflection, the light in the room becoming way to bright all of the sudden, and then that same feeling and dizzy spell that she felt back at the roadhouse had come back, but this time it felt even more intense. She dropped her head, squeezing her eyes shut tight and clenched her jaw; waiting for it to pass.

The feeling began to fade after a few long minutes. Riley can feel her heart stammering in her chest from nerves. She was startled even more when her phone vibrated in the back of her jean pocket. Riley reached for it with shaky hands and checked the caller ID. Recognizing the name and number on the screen, she flipped it open and greeted the caller. "Hey Ash."

There was silence on the line for a few moments before Ash's scratchy voice spoke through the speaker. _"You all right, Riles? You sound off."_

"Yeah," Riley sighed, deciding against telling him about the two incidents that occurred. "Just tired."

He seemed to take the bait because he just let the topic slide and going right into why he called in the first place. _"Okay, so I found something." _

Riley's ears perked up at that. Both she and Ash had been doing endless amounts of research while she was at the roadhouse over the past few weeks. She waited for him to continue, but he didn't. "Well, what did you find?"

_"Remember how Dean said when their daddy bit it, the colt mysteriously goes missing?"_ Ash asked.

"Vaguely, yeah." Riley nodded her head even though Ash couldn't see.

_"Well, the colt is the gun that could kill anythin' right? That is the only weapon against ol' yellow eyes." _

"Okay… what does the colt have to do with anything?" Riley asked. "You think yellow eyes took the gun after killing John?"

_"I haven't exactly figured out that part yet, but I did some more digging. You know who made the gun, right?"_ Ash asked, sounding a tad eager.

"Samuel Colt." Riley stated. "Everyone knows that."

_"You wanna know what else Samuel Colt made?"_ Ash questioned.

Riley swallowed and furrowed her brows in thought, "…what?"

_"The pendant."_

"What pendant?" Riley asked quickly. She immediately paused in realization. "Oh my shit—no. The same pendant that looks like a freaking pizza? The same pendant that we have in our possession? The same pendant that demons nearly killed me for? _That_ pendant?" Riley asked with wide eyes, her hand gripping the phone tight as if it were her lifeline.

She heard Ash blow out a sigh, _"that's the one. I don't know much about it though. Not a lot of information here, but don't worry, Ri. We are gonna find it." _

"Yeah…" Riley breathed. "I know."

A million questions raced through Riley's mind. Just why the hell did her father have a pendant that was created by the famous Samuel Colt in his possession? And then why give it to Jackson's father to hold onto, indicating that it was an anti-possession charm? And then why did Eric give it to Jackson hours before his clock was up? Why do the demons want it? What the hell is it?

_What now?_

* * *

Riley barely slept an hour. It was like no matter how tired she felt, for some strange reason her body would not let her rest. She felt on edge, like something was about to come out of the shadows and attack. Not that it would be a surprise or anything—considering what kind of lifestyle she has. Fighting supernatural creatures that people could only imagine in their worst nightmares and all that jazz. It pissed Riley off because she had the luxury of sleeping on this beautiful bed with smooth, silky sheets. That is, after she forcefully kicked Arthur to the floor and called him an ass for only getting one king-sized bed. No way in hell was she going to share her sleeping space with that freaking dick.

Arthur had let out a scoff, grabbing a pillow from the bed and strutting his long, muscular legs to the small couch, mumbling things like: "I paid for a nice hotel and this is what I get in return?" and then to piss Riley off he said, "always feisty, just the way I like my women." _That_ earned Arthur another smack on the head.

Riley waited until six to drag herself out of bed to go take a hot shower. Her head was pounding to the point where her eyeballs hurt. She had sat with her arms wrapped around her knees in the tub for forty minutes, letting the warm, steaming water soak her entire body. She could not wait for this case or whatever the hell you want to call it to be over. They had to find this stupid freaking painting. And apparently this guy has it. _How the hell is he still alive?_ Riley wondered to herself. If these paintings were cursed, causing peoples' homes to go up in flames, then how the hell did Peter O' Connell have it without his house turning into ash? This whole thing wasn't adding up.

She kept her thoughts to herself, eventually coming to the conclusion that maybe she was too tired to connect the dots. Arthur may have been a jackass, but she didn't believe he had an ulterior motive. He looked genuinely upset in the car while telling Riley was destroying this painting was so important to him. Everyone has their own story to tell as to how they got involved with the supernatural world. And losing his family to a painting of a crying young boy was Arthur's, she guessed.

Arthur had informed Riley later that morning that he had made a phone call to Peter last night while she was "having a mental break down in the washroom," as he said it. He had apparently called the man and told him that he and his partner were art collectors and are looking to buy the original painting of the crying boy. Surprisingly, he readily agreed to meet with them at a coffee shop the next morning to discuss prices.

Riley wondered if it was simple, then why the hell go through all the trouble to get her to come here with Arthur in the first place?

The two of them sat at the small coffee shop, each with a cup of steaming, hot coffee in their hands. There were flurries of snow sticking to the window and on the parked cars. Riley had completely ignored Arthur the majority of the morning and decided that anything was more interesting than him. She noticed his devilish smirk that was directed towards her and she rolled her eyes in annoyance. They had been waiting nearly an hour for Peter to show up, but still no avail from the owner of the crying boy painting.

After Arthur's failed attempts to make conversation with Riley, her phone rang, giving her the opportunity to walk away from the British man. She walked out the front door and immediately felt the chilling breeze and the small, white flakes that were falling from the sky. Despite standing outside in the cold, it was calming to be away from a man who Riley wanted to bash his head in. Whoever was calling her was a miracle in disguise.

Without looking at the caller ID, Riley answered the call, "yeah?"

_"Hey Riley,"_ Sam's voice greeted through the line.

"Sam?" Riley felt her brows furrow in surprise. It had been nearly three weeks since she had spoken to the younger Winchester. He called not long after their previous meeting of taking down Gordon Walker and then she was accused by Dean of spilling their family secrets. He had called Riley to ask if she had heard anything from Ava and that she was missing. Their thoughts and clues leading to the assumption that the yellow-eyed demon was behind her disappearance.

_"Yeah… Winchester."_ Sam awkwardly replied.

Riley let out a snort, "Like I didn't know it was you. But thanks for the reassurance. What can I do for you, Sam?"

Sam let out a low chuckle, _"just thought I'd give you an update on the Ava situation and see how you were doing." _

"You still haven't found her?" Riley asked, a frown etching her features. "I thought the lack of communication the last couple of weeks indicated otherwise." She let out.

She heard the Winchester blow out a sigh. _"The trail is cold, Riley,"_ he said, voice quiet. _"Dean said that we should just move on and work another case, but I can't give up on her, you know?"_

"You're not giving up though," Riley stated. "You can't put your life on pause, Sam."

The line was silent for a long moment until Sam decided to change the topic of conversation. _"Yeah I know. So what's going on with you?" _

Riley blinked in surprise at the sudden change. "Uh—well, okay I guess. Working a job in Ohio with an old employee—my dad's business." Her tone sounded somewhat annoyed and aggravated and Sam caught onto it very fast.

"And how's that going?" Sam asked. Riley could practically hear the smirk in his voice

Riley felt herself shake her head, "not well," she commented in a similar, sarcastic tone.

Suddenly, a man around this forties had walked passed Riley and walked into the coffee shop. She eyed him suspiciously through the window and took notice of where he took his seat. At her and Arthur's table. _Well it's about damn time, Peter O' Connell. _

"Agh—crap, Sam. I gotta go. I'll call when I finish the job, all right?" Riley said quickly.

_"Yeah, sure. Be careful, Riley."_ Sam said softly.

She felt herself smirking, "careful is my middle name, Sammy." Purposely using the nickname to get a rise out of Sam.

_"Don't call me that." _

She let out a small chuckle. "Later Sam." Riley said before hanging up the phone and shoving it back into her pocket.

The two of them seemed to be deep in a hushed conversation that abruptly stopped once Riley graced them with her presence. She glanced at the two of them with raised brows as she took her seat. "Oh no please, don't let me stop you. Carry on." Her voice nonchalant as she sipped her drink that was on the table.

The man she assumed to be Peter scoffed and shook his head, "and who might you be?" His voice was scratchy and it sounded like he had one to many cigarettes. But Riley wasn't going to tell him that. She simply raised a brow and looked at Arthur.

"Shouldn't he have told you that? I'm his partner, jackass," Riley replied in a tone that clearly spoke 'don't screw with me' and the message was definitely received by the sudden change of expression. "You're Peter right? The guy with the painting of the crying kid?"

"O-oh y-yeah. I am. That's me." Peter quickly replied. What the hell was he so nervous for all of the sudden? The mood changes from this man were unbelievable. He put a smile on his face and held out a hand, "nice to meet you…"

"Riley."

"Nice to meet you, Riley."

"Such a pleasure," she responded back with a roll of her eyes. She looked at Arthur, "so are you gonna buy his painting or what?" She had decided to be blunt about it, why stick around for the small talk. She didn't know Peter and didn't really want to. The guy was a creep. And she didn't want to be around Arthur either. His mere presence made her want to stab herself or stab him. Even though Arthur was an asshole, it didn't mean he deserved to die.

Arthur and Peter exchanged a quick glance before both their attention to Riley. "Yes actually." Arthur said with a slight nod. "We just set up a meeting place tonight for the exchange."

Riley stared at the duo oddly. They both wore false smiles on their faces and it wasn't that salesman smile either if you catch Riley's drift. There was definitely more to what was going on here and Riley was going to figure out what exactly that is.

She let out a snort, "jeez, you make it sound like you guys are dealing drugs in a back alley or something."

"The painting is a priceless work of art, Miss Harvelle." Peter informed her with a serious frown. "This is something that we would have to proceed with severe caution."

She felt her brows furrow. Her stomach twisting in knots because she wasn't exactly sure if there was a double meaning behind O' Connell's words. She numbly nodded her head and eyed him wearily. Riley put her own fake smile on her face and it honestly felt more like a grimace with how uneasy she suddenly felt. Something was _wrong_ here. Seriously wrong.

"Well, where are we meeting then?" Riley asked, trying to keep her tone light, but failing miserably.

"Don't worry about it, love. I already got the information." Arthur said, placing a hand on her shoulder. At the glare he received, he slowly pulled away and pursed his lips.

"I shall see you at seven sharp then." Peter said, getting out of his seat. "I hope you know I don't take British currency or whatever the hell you people use on your land, Arthur." Although he was talking to the man who wished to buy his painting, Peter's gaze was strictly on Riley, who was uncomfortably staring back at him from her seat.

"I know lad. Don't worry, you'll receive your due." Arthur said, voice ominous.

Riley swallowed and watched yet another exchange of glances between the two men before Peter walked out of the coffee shop. Something was definitely going on here. And something was definitely up with Peter O' Connell. Everything that came out of that man's mouth, Riley felt like it had some sort of double meaning. She followed Arthur out of the shop, her mind replaying the conversation that they just had. She then suddenly came to a halt at the door, causing Arthur to pause and raise a brow.

"Love? Any day now."

Riley seemed startled by his voice, blinking several times and staring at him with an expression he couldn't exactly read. "Sorry… spaced out for a minute."

"Well come on then. We are meeting in a few hours and I would like to be ready by then, yes?"

She nodded her head and followed him to the rental car. Riley's expression that Arthur couldn't pick up was one of realization. Realization and surprise and shock and maybe even a little bit of fear. She had never seen Peter O' Connell or even heard of him until yesterday morning when Arthur informed her of him being the man who currently owned the painting he was after. He didn't seem to have a freaking clue as to who she was until she introduced herself as Riley. When he heard her name, he looked surprised and suddenly became nervous and then became eerily calm. What really bothered Riley was the mere fact that she never gave him her last name and Arthur didn't mention it once at the table. So unless he was talking about her while she was outside on the phone with Sam… then how did he know that she was Riley _Harvelle_?

* * *

Riley sat on the big, comfortable bed of their hotel room; her mind buzzing with all the worst possible case scenarios. _Maybe I'm going crazy._ Riley truly started to believe that her mind was beginning to play tricks on her. She was barely getting sleep and that alone could mess with someone's head. And being Riley who had just about a million and one problems she felt the need to try and fix by herself wasn't exactly helping.

First, there was the never ending argument between her aunt and cousin. And unfortunately for Riley, she was thrown in the middle of it like always. She knew it wasn't intentional, but Ellen and Jo knew that Riley was always the most reasonable and would forever be the peacemaker in the family. But one trait that all the Harvelle girls shared was being incredibly stubborn. It was one way or no way. It isn't exactly the best trait to have, but out of the three of them, Riley was the most willing to listen to reason before drawing conclusions.

That was probably one of the bigger worries Riley had when it came to Jo hunting. She had this knack to do crap on impulse and not think things through, which is a very easy way to get yourself killed in the hunting world, which was why Riley was completely against Jo hunting. But she didn't stop her because she understood Jo's reasoning behind it. Ellen on the other hand didn't want to hear any of it and decided right there and then that her daughter would not get involved in this life, fearing that another member of their already shrinking family would get killed. Riley understood her motives just as much as she did Jo's and that's what sucked about being in the middle of this particular argument, because there isn't a way to come up with a compromise. You either hunt or you don't.

Another thing: that stupid freaking pendant. It was apparently made by the great Samuel Colt? Why in the holy hell would her father—correction: _how_ in hell did her father even get his hands on it? And what the hell even is it? To Riley, it was just your ordinary ugly-ass pendant that looked like a pizza, but the demons seemed to think differently. They had set out a trap just for Riley because they believe she was in possession of the damn thing. But in the meantime, the thing was being passed around like a game of hot potato bouncing from Riley's father, Brian to Eric and then to his son, Jackson. They left her and Jacks to believe it was some sort of anti-possession charm when they were kids. Why hide something like that from them? What was so important about this pendant?

Speaking of Eric, that was another freaking problem. Due to his incredibly smart idea to sell his soul and not breathe a word about it to anyone, leaving Riley and his own son to find his dead, mutilated corpse on the floor in his cabin had proven to be a craptastic one. She nearly watched her best friend nearly kill himself at the crossroads. He was standing in the middle of the road with this lost and broken expression on his face and it made Riley's heart shatter. Eric made a demon deal to save his son, but he had ten freaking years to say something about it. There was no closure for Jackson. Hell, there was no closure for any of them. Eric was family. Blood or not. As if right now, Jackson seems to be holding himself together. Making frequent trips back and forth between the roadhouse and Bobby Singer's, going through every single book his father had left behind. He seemed better, less suicidal anyway and Riley prayed it stayed that way. But then again, these days… nothing really seemed to be going in her favor.

Then there was the whole blow out with the Winchesters a little over a month ago. Riley was over it sure, but a small part of her still felt ticked off that Dean would assume they would go around spilling secrets. And what pissed her off even more was the fact that just a few months ago, Sam had called and spoken to her personally about her opinion on Gordon Walker and she had told him straight that he was a nut job and to run the other way. But _noooo_, they work a case with him and learn completely on their own that he is a bag full of crazy. Sam knew what Gordon had done to Riley several years back, nearly ending in her death. But yet… Sam didn't say a word when Dean bellowed out in the parking lot of another dingy motel, throwing out accusations that she and her family were untrustworthy and had spilled the big secret of Sam having some sort of psychic ability. It hurt Riley and she didn't even know why.

Maybe that was the reason to the incredible lack of sleep. Riley had never been one to feel unsure of anything. She slipped a bit over the edge when her father was murdered, but grief does crazy things to people. Look at Jackson. The tension was high and Riley had chosen the worst possible time to have a mental breakdown. She wasn't really sure of anything anymore.

One thing she was positive about was Peter O' Connell? There was definitely something off about him. There had to be. Then Riley thought about Arthur. If something was truly going on here, would Arthur take part in it? Why? And why drag her into all of it?

_Nobody is dragging anybody into anything. It's just your mind playing tricks on you._ Riley so desperately wanted to believe the voice echoing inside her head, but there was this strange feeling deep in her gut that told her otherwise.

Arthur stepped out of the bathroom, leaving the door open while steam escaped the rather large room. Riley watched him closely and carefully as he buttoned up his shirt. It wasn't his usual fancy brand name attire though. He had thrown on a pair of old ratty jeans that Riley didn't even think he would ever own and a dark flannel button-down. He plopped himself down on the small seat that rested at the end of the bed. Riley thought it was some sort of ottoman that stored extra sheets and whatnot.

She let out an involuntary snort, which caused the British man to look up curiously. Riley just shook her head, taking in his appearance and temporarily forgetting about the million problems at hand. Her sarcastic remarks begging to be said. Especially to Arthur. "You know, you actually may pass for a hunter dressed like that," Riley said with a smirk on her lips. She watched Arthur scoff and shake his head as he continued to slowly button up his shirt.

He noticed that Riley was still staring at him, he glanced down and noticed his bare chest that was underneath the thick flannel shirt. "You like what you see, love?" He asked coyly, his own smirk appearing on his lips.

Riley's expression immediately darkened, the smirk no longer there and her eyes hardening into a glare. "A poodle." She said simply.

Arthur blinked at the sudden topic change. "Excuse me?"

"You can either pass for a hunter… or a poodle."

Arthur gave Riley a weird look, "why a poodle?" He asked slowly.

"Because of that thing you call a beard, Mr. Scruffy," Riley said cooly. "Should I get you a bone and we can go play fetch?"

"Shut your trap, Riley and get ready."

"Oh! I hope your house trained! I don't pick up bull shit." Riley bit, staring hard at Arthur.

Arthur's eyes grew wide for a quick moment before covering it up with his signature smirk. "Why do I feel like there is a double meaning in there, love?"

"Because there is." Riley stated. "Just like there was several double meanings being said at the coffee shop this morning. Who exactly is Peter O' Connell, Arthur?" She growled. "And I want the goddamn truth or else."

Arthur actually laughed, "or what, Riley?" He mocked. "What are you going to do, love?" A ominous smile graced his lips, "that's right—nothing." He seemed to look at his watch, "ah it's about damn time. Let's go." He ordered, tossing Riley's bag roughly into her arms before marching out the door.

Riley watched him go, her jaw tight. He didn't deny it. She place her hand on her lower back, feeling the pistol there. Riley took a breath, nodding to herself slightly and followed Arthur to what could possibly be a big trap. For who? She wasn't sure.

The car ride was silent the entire way to wherever they were going. The uneasy feeling in Riley's stomach got worse and worse as each minute passed by. She had a major headache from stress and lack of sleep—not only that, but also those two little episodes of what she called head-rushes. It worried Riley, but she couldn't exactly think about that right now, she had to worry on how to keep her and Arthur alive. She didn't think that he would actually be in on whatever the hell was going on around here. They were going to make a simple transaction, get the painting and salt and burn it, and then Arthur was going to drop Riley off home. That was Riley's plan. She knew Arthur was a dick, but she would never take him for a two-face or a rat. Riley had gone all the way to England and saved his life from crazy, psychotic witches. He better think twice before crossing Riley Harvelle.

They pulled up to a place that was completely abandoned. It was an old, broken down warehouse. It was exactly where a drug deal would take place. She didn't catch sight of Peter and it was already ten passed seven. Funny, Peter had been the one to remind she and Arthur that their meeting would take place at seven sharp. So where the hell was he then?

"Sorry for the wait," a voice called out from behind them. Both Arthur and Riley spun around quickly to face Peter. They immediately caught eye of a large brown dust bag that clearly contained the painting. On the dust bag, was several different symbols that almost looked like warding symbols that someone would put on a curse box. Riley had recognized a few of them from when Bobby would make them for hunters time to time.

"It's no problem," Riley replied quietly, looking at Peter carefully.

Peter O' Connell just gave a nod of his head in acknowledgement before directing his attention to Arthur. "You brought what I asked for?" He asked.

"Of course I did," Arthur replied from behind Riley, voice ominous. She was just about to turn around to ask him where the money was considering he didn't even carry out a bag with him from the hotel or out of the car. She froze in place when she heard the faintest sound of a gun being cocked.

"Oh you son of a bitch," Riley breathed out, shaking her head. She felt the head of the pistol touch her back as he nudged her toward Peter. But she quickly realized that Peter O' Connell hasn't been home in a very long time. Standing barely five feet away from her was just another meat suit for a demon to use. His black orbs staring into her brown ones with a evil smirk playing on his lips.

"Sorry love, but I couldn't pass up on the offer." There was no sincerity in his apology and it made Riley's blood boil.

"I _saved_ your life, Arthur." Riley pointed out, her voice growing shaky. "And I came here to help you find that painting."

"Your point, darling?" Riley could practically hear his eyes roll.

"My_ point_ being that I've done nothing but help you and you throw me over to the demons?" She bit out angrily, her voice cracking. She felt tears slightly gather in her eyes, but forced them away. She wasn't going to show weakness.

"Well let this be a lesson learned: never trust anyone," he whispered in her ear before forcefully shoving Riley into the demons arms, who quickly grasped her by the throat.

The demon possessing Peter smirked at the young woman in his grasp before looking directly at Arthur. "He's right, _darling_," he mocked Arthur's British accent, "never trust anyone." He echoed the same words Arthur spoke to her before raising his free hand, prepared to snap Arthur's neck with just the flick of his wrist, but a bullet shot through the air and pierced right through the demon's forehead. The force of the bullet causing his hold to loosen on Riley and push herself away from him.

She spun around to face Arthur, who was still holding the smoking gun in the air, pointing it at the demon. Wait, whose side is this guy really on? Riley had never been more confused in her life, but she was relieved at the fact the bullet didn't go through her head. Arthur then looked at Riley with wide, panic-filled eyes, "get the painting!" he shouted before spinning on his heels and running towards the rental.

_Oh shit. _She spun back around to see the demon gathering his wits. Surely, if Peter was alive somewhere in there before, he wasn't anymore. The bullet was shot straight through his forehead. But an ordinary bullet wouldn't be enough to stop a demon. He glared in her direction, "I liked this meat suit," he growled out.

Riley shrugged her shoulders stiffly, "sucks to suck then," she spat before sending a swift kick to the demon's chest. When he fell flat on his back, Riley grabbed the painting that was now on the floor and ran as fast as she could to the rental. Unfortunately, she wasn't fast enough.

She tripped on her own two feet and fell flat on her face. Scrambling to get herself up, Riley felt a heavy foot press against her back, forcefully shoving her back on the ground. She let out a frustrated grunt and tried to squirm away, but it was no use. The demon stood above her, his foot pressed roughly on Riley's back, hard enough where she thought that her ribs might crack because of the pressure.

"Where is it?"

_Where is what? _Riley felt like she was having a hard time breathing, her lungs feeling like they were being crushed under all the weight. Her cheek was pressed against the cool asphalt, letting loose panted breaths, she asked, "where's what?"

"The pendant," he shouted. "I want the damn pendant and I know you have it!"

Of course they are still after the pendant. A freaking ugly ass piece of jewelry that was apparently made by Samuel Colt that her father had in his possession before handing it over to Eric a few years ago. Why? Riley had no freaking idea. She decided to play coy, "what pendant?"

Riley felt the weight of the demon's foot being lifted and she let out a small sigh in relief before a loud yelp escaped through her lips as she was being picked up by her hair. She was now merely inches away from Peter O' Connell's bloody face. "Riley…" he growled, obviously losing whatever little patience he had. "Where is the pendant?"

"I don't—"

A loud smack echoed the area around the warehouse and Riley went flying, rolling on the cold, hard concrete, coughing and trying to catch her breath. She looked up from the floor, now on her hands and knees, staring with wide eyes at the demon who was quickly approaching her.

"Maybe my threat wasn't clear the first time around but—" He was abruptly cut off when another bullet pierced through his chest, even though it wouldn't kill him, it would give Riley enough time to get back to the rental and get out of dodge. She didn't exactly have the time to draw a devils trap and exorcise the demon like she would want to, but what mattered at the moment was getting out of there _alive_.

Just as she reached the door handle of the car, she felt someone grab her shoulder, quickly spinning her around and pinning her to the side of what she assumed was a dumpster. "Where is the damn pendant, Harvelle?!" The demon screamed in Riley's face.

"I don't have it!" Riley yelled.

"You're lying!"

"I'm not lying! I don't freaking have it!" Riley cried, feeling his grip tighten on her shoulder, keeping her successfully pinned against the dumpster.

"Well then, you have no use to me." He snarled, his hand going for her neck in attempt to snap it and end it all right here. Riley squeezed her eyes shut, waiting for the demon to kill her, but her death never came. She heard a loud _whack_ and her eyes flew open to see Arthur standing behind the demon, holding the painting as if he had took a swing with it as if he were swinging a baseball bat. The demon let go of Riley, letting her fall on the floor to face Arthur. He swung the painting once again at the demon and they both heard a snap from the force of the painting hitting his face.

Arthur quickly held a hand for Riley and ushered her to the car, following right behind her. By the time the demon was back on his feet, Riley and Arthur were speeding down the road, not sure where exactly they were heading.

_Holy shit._ "Holy shit…" Riley breathed out, letting her head rest against the cool window. What the hell just happened back there? Was this Arthur's plan all along? Did he know that he was essentially dealing with a demon? She had no idea.

Arthur let out a scoff, "yeah, you're telling me," he muttered under his breath in hopes that Riley didn't hear it, but he was sadly mistaken.

"Yeah Arthur, I am telling you. I just got my ass beat back there because you were willingly handing me over to a demon! What the hell was that?!" Riley shouted, turning her body to face him from the passenger seat.

"I saved you didn't I?" Arthur asked, as if he was insulted by what she was accusing him of. "You should at least be a little grateful."

Riley felt like her eyes were going to pop out of her sockets with how wide they were. "_Grateful_?" She asked incredulously. "Grateful?!" She yelled.

"Yes," Arthur said, sending her a pointed glare, trying to ignore all the new cuts and bruises that colored her face and body. "It was all part of my plan. A demon approached me to make a deal with me. All business of course, none of that soul bargaining nonsense." He said casually. "He told me that he had a score to settle with you and if I followed through with my end, he would give me the painting I've been searching for." He relayed the story to Riley. Shrugging his shoulders, "but I never followed through with my end of the deal." He indicated to Riley, "obviously."

Riley didn't say anything for a long time. She just stared at him with this wide-eyed expression that was mixed between anger and awe. She glanced out the window and noticed a rather large clearing was coming up. "Pull over."

"What?"

"Arthur, pull the hell over. _Now_."

"Fine. No need to be so pushy, darling."

Riley didn't respond. She swung open the door and jumped out of the car, going straight to the trunk for her bag in search for rock salt and lighter fluid. Arthur stood a few feet behind her and watched Riley with curious eyes. She spun around and roughly pushed the items in his arms. "Go."

"Go what?"

"Salt and burn the damn painting."

And that's exactly what he did. The two of them stood silently as they watched the remains of the painting burn away into nothing in hopes that since it was the original piece that whatever curse or ghost energy that was attached to it would be lifted. At this point, Riley didn't really give a rats ass if it worked or not. She knew that this would be the final job she would ever work with Arthur. He had nearly gotten her killed and he wasn't even sorry about it.

When they were just about to head back into the car, Riley called out to him and waited for him to turn around to face her. He raised his brows expectantly, seeing Riley give him an ominous smile before socking him in the face. He backed up, completely appalled by the action. "What in the bloody hell was that?!" He shouted, holding his cheek that was surely going to bruise.

"That's for using me as bait and nearly getting me killed." Riley snapped back angrily. She began to walk towards the car before realizing that Arthur wasn't following. She turned around with her hands planted on her hips, "well? Take me home!"

It was a very long and silent drive back to the roadhouse. Neither of them speaking a word to each other for the next sixteen and a half hours. Arthur attempted to put on the radio to end the silence but Riley was quick to shut it off. Her head ached to the point where she wanted to bash it repeatedly against the wall. No matter how much she tried, Riley couldn't fall asleep. It was like she was suffering from insomnia.

After what felt like an endless drive, Arthur had finally pulled up to the familiar building that was the roadhouse. Riley let out a sigh in relief at the sight of her home, she turned to Arthur who was staring at the roadhouse with this constipated look on his face, "what?" Riley questioned with a tired quirk of her brow.

He still didn't look at her when he spoke, "I'm sorry for what happened in Ohio, Riley." His voice sounds foreign. It wasn't laced with sarcasm or snark, or wit. He sounded sincere and he sounded _sorry_. He turned to face her and judging from the expression he wore on his face, Riley knew that it was genuine.

She blew out a rather loud breath and faced the roadhouse, "what happened back there… was that really your plan?" Riley asked, voice quiet. "Or was that the guilt eating at you that changed your mind last minute."

Arthur swallowed hard and didn't reply. Riley turned to him and saw the look on his face and got her answer. She nodded her head, "okay."

Arthur's brows immediately furrowed in confusion. "_Okay_?" He asked. "Okay what? What are you okay with exactly?"

"You pulled through in the end, right?" She asked with raised brows. "As you can see I am not dead." Riley gestured to herself. "I forgive you, Arthur."

"Really?" Arthur's voice perked up and became hopeful.

Riley nodded her head, "yeah…" She replied. "But know this: just because I forgave you doesn't mean I trust you." Riley stated, her brown eyes boring into his. "And I'm sorry, but you're never going to gain that back from me." She watched regret fill his features, but Arthur definitely crossed a line. They were supposed to be partners. It was one thing to follow through with a plan—if both of them actually knew what the plan was. But the only plan Arthur had was to hand Riley's ass over to the demon in exchange for a painting that destroyed his entire family. Arthur didn't say anything to her, not even after Riley got out of his car. She began walking towards the entrance of the roadhouse before turning around to face Arthur once again. "Oh and uh, I hope you don't mind, but I tipped the bell-boy, Thomas before we left. You remember him, yeah?" Riley told him, a smirk growing on her face knowing that what she was going to tell him next was going to send him off fuming.

"Yeah? So?" Arthur asked with raised brows.

"Well, he wanted me to thank you for the ten thousand dollars that was in your suitcase. He can go back to school now with the extra cash." Riley's smirk grew wider when she watched Arthur's expression drop. She spun around and walked inside the roadhouse the curses and mutters coming from Arthur fading away. Hey, at least one good thing came out of this trip.

Riley walked inside and noticed Ash and Jackson near the pool table, in the middle of a game. Jackson was losing horribly. "Hey guys," she greeted tiredly as she tossed her duffle on one of the tables.

Both of them looked at Riley surprised. "Riley, hey…" Jackson said, voice full of caution. He took note of the darkened bags that covered underneath her eyes and the pale color of her skin. Something was off.

"What're you doing here?" She asked curiously.

Jackson shrugged his shoulders, "oh you know, kinda got stuffy back at Bobby's and I thought I'd stop over to see you. Wanted to keep my promise this time." He hinted back to their conversation they had at the crossroads a month ago.

Riley nodded her head numbly in his direction before turning her attention to Ash, "did you find anything on the pendant?"

Jackson's eyes widened at her words, "the pendant?" He questioned. "The one my dad gave to me right before he died? What about it?"

Ash didn't take his worried eyes off of Riley when he answered Jackson, "it's uh… Samuel Colt apparently made the pendant back when he made the colt."

"What?" Jackson asked, growing excited at the news. "Seriously? Dude that's—"

"Shhh!" Riley shushed Jackson. Her headache becoming increasingly worse by the second. "Why are you yelling? Stop yelling." She practically whispered.

"Riles, you okay?" Ash asked, concerned, taking a few cautious steps closer to the blonde.

She squeezed her eyes shut tight and tried shaking her head in attempt to get rid of the dizzy spell that was coming on. When she opened her eyes again, everything in the room was spinning and she was seeing double. Black dots began to cover her vision and she felt her knees buckle and her body crash into a pair of arms. She heard the faint sounds of Ash and Jackson calling her name before everything went dark.

* * *

**So, this chapter was a complete pain in the ass to get out. LOTS OF FORESHADOWING this chapter! And also, Riley was so not herself this chapter, which was obviously my goal for this. I know a lot of people want to portray their OCs like a real, life-like person and sometimes they can come off as a mary-sue. And sometimes, depending on what you're aiming for in your story, people can pull it off. But come on guys, this is Supernatural. Since when is crap all happy and dandy. We saw Jackson's breaking point and we are now going to see Riley's which has been building up pretty much since the first chapter. And my chapters for this story are pretty lengthy! **

**Do not fear! Chapter nine will have you guys rolling. Already started working on that chapter too. For some reason, I decided to work on future chapters rather than the one that I should be working on… oops. It's definitely a great and one of the more bizarre situations similar to chapter five. So if you enjoyed the witch hunt, then you're definitely going to love chapter nine!**

**Thanks for sticking with me for so long, even though I completely suck major butt with updating! I'll try and get you the next chapter up ASAP! Leave a review with comments, thoughts, questions, ideas, drop by to say hello—I don't really care, but I love hearing from you so review! :) I want to know what you guys think of Arthur! AKA super douche! lol **

**ALSO! Head over to my tumblr page to see some of the awesome edits a dear friend of mine submitted of Riley and other edits and all that jazz!**


	9. Soldier On

**Riley Carter Harvelle**

**_Chapter Eight:_**** Soldier On **

Madness. That's what this whole thing was. Madness. No matter how much one could fight in this world, the hits will keep on coming. But Riley Harvelle was not one to lie down and take a beating, no. Riley would get up off her ass and go do some unbelievably crazy thing that would end up leaving her enemy a weeping mess. That was what Jackson admired about Riley the most: her will to never give up. She always was full of hope—that there was something better coming for everyone once they got through all the bad crap that was their life. There had been some deep discussions about the afterlife between Riley, Jackson, and Ash when they would have the roadhouse to themselves—Ellen and Jo would go away for whatever the reason was and leave the three of them to run the saloon. When the nights weren't busy, they would close early and grab a couple of bottles of booze and sit on the couch in the back room of the roadhouse. Together, they'd get buzzed enough to sit through some lifetime movie (usually that was more of Riley and Ash's thing, but Jackson had done it with them once or twice) and then after… all bets were off.

Jackson listened to Riley like a student willing to learn would to a teacher. Riley never went to college, he wasn't even quite sure if she had graduated high school. She was jumping in-between schools when her father took her hunting. Riley had mentioned it to him before that when she was younger, she and Jo attended the same elementary school in Nebraska—not too far away from the roadhouse, but when Brian decided it was time to teach Riley how to protect herself, school was no longer a priority. Perhaps that was why Jackson was constantly surprised by all Riley's knowledge and wisdom. Jackson remembered the one time she quoted some famous philosophers in some random-ass accents and it had him and Ash howling with laughter on the wooden floors of the back room. Ash had asked her where the hell she knew all these quotes from and Jackson remembered the longing-gaze she casted him, as if she was preparing herself to share something incredibly serious with the two of them… and then she said: "I googled: shit philosophers said."

Of course, like every other human being on this earth, Riley wasn't perfect. Nobody was. Everyone has their flaws. Most people would give a glance at Riley and see a peppy twenty-year old girl and that's that. Her flaws weren't exactly in the physical sense, but internal. She had a lot of pent up anger and survivor's guilt boiling up inside, but no one could really see it. Being a hunter and living this kind of lifestyle, anger and guilt is like peanut butter and jelly. They just go together. Not a lot of people knew about the night Riley's father died and not a lot of people knew the kind of pain and grief Riley suffered through after. She still didn't talk much about that dark, rainy night at the warehouse. Jackson remembered his father dragging in a soaking wet, sixteen-year old Riley in their motel room. She was a _mess_. Her cheeks were all blotchy and red, her eyes were swollen and watery, and tears streaked down her face. Eric helped her to the bed and began asking her questions like: "What happened?" and "Are you hurt?" and the only thing Riley did was shake her head and cry more. Then Jackson had realized there had been one person missing: Brian, Riley's father.

Riley went to a pretty dark place after that. She got reckless, careless. She made it pretty damn obvious that she didn't want to be here any longer with her attitude towards everyone. Losing Brian was hard for everyone, but of course, it was the hardest for Riley. Unlike him and Jo who at least had the opportunity to spend time with both of their parents during their childhood, Riley never had. Carter, Riley's mother apparently passed away not long after she had given birth and she nor Brian had ever given any details that led up to her death. Jackson could only assume that she lost her life to the hunt, like many others have. Jackson understood that Riley needed to grieve, but whatever the hell she was doing wasn't grieving—it was giving up. And in no way in hell was Jackson going to stand by and let his best friend give up. And he didn't. A fourteen-year old, clueless, dumb kid had marched into Riley's bedroom and kicked open her door, his foot actually going through the wood (Riley was very pissed about that), and yelling that she needed to get her freaking ass up and keep her promise to teach him how to hunt. He had told her that this wasn't what her father would have wanted for Riley and he was absolutely right. Brian was a no-nonsense kind of guy. He had a great sense of humor and Riley used to call him a man-child time to time. It was sad to lose yet another great soldier in this never-ending war against the supernatural. After Jackson's outburst, Riley pulled herself out of her funk and faced the tough reality that she no longer had her dad in her life—but just because she lost somebody didn't mean she lost everybody. Eric began to take the two of them on hunts and eventually came their graduation hunt where Riley and Jackson would go hunting on their own. It was a major step to take, not to mention quite a scary one, but they succeeded and continued to hunt monsters and save lives in their extremely unorthodox and unconventional way.

But unorthodox and unconventional was just how they rolled.

The sadness, anger, and guilt all still remained deep inside Riley's heart. Jackson knew it, but he was happy to see that she was no longer letting it all take over and consume her. Riley was Jackson's role-model, his hero, his rock, his hunting partner, his best friend, his sister from another mister. He looked up to her for guidance and she provided him with whatever he needed. Their relationship is weird, no doubt, but it was them. And he loved her for the person she was. Riley Harvelle was a kick-ass hunter and doesn't take shit from anybody. All wrapped up in a five foot three blonde girl.

So perhaps, when Riley collapsed in his arms at the roadhouse, it had felt like Jackson's world was collapsing too.

"Riley! Hey!"

He had barely managed to catch her, nearly dropping her now unconscious body on the wooden floors of the saloon. He took in her pale skin and the darkened circles that sat underneath her eyes and gulped down his nervousness. _What the hell just happened?_

Ash's pool stick was now on the floor and he ran towards him and Riley. It didn't help Jackson's anxiety when he saw the total and utter fear smeared all over Ash's face as he stared down at the blonde girl that was slack in Jackson's arms. The both of them knew that there was obviously something seriously wrong with the youngest Harvelle, but they had jack squat of what that was. Ash had thrown himself down on his knees and took Riley's face in his rough hands, gently tapping on her cheek in attempt to bring her back to the land of consciousness.

"What the hell is _happening_?!" Jackson shouted, carefully adjusting his hold on Riley. He could literally feel his heart palpitating in his chest. His breathing quickened and if he didn't calm himself down soon, Jackson was sure that he would have a panic attack. He swept a glance around the bar, mentally cursing at the horrible timing Ellen had. She had left the roadhouse about an hour ago, telling the boys that she'd be back later on during the day with supplies and all the other crap she needed for the saloon and the house. Jackson turned his attention back towards Riley and Ash, who still had no success in waking her up. "Ash, I think she needs a doctor or something, man. She's not waking up!"

Ash swallowed hard and stared at Riley with worried eyes before looking up at Jackson. He was still sitting on his knees as his eyes raced back and forth between Riley and Jackson. Ash let out a groan. "Aw hell! Come on, let's go!" He carefully pulled Riley into his arms and headed towards the door of the roadhouse. Jackson was standing in the same spot in the bar in a horrified daze, his thoughts were on a rampage—going over the "what ifs." He barely hung on after his father died, and Riley was the one who pulled him out of the hellfire that he almost walked into when he was at the crossroads. There was no way in hell that he could live his life without Riley in it. "J-man! We gotta _move_!" Ash shouted, snapping him out of his trance. Jackson gave him what he hoped was a thankful nod before quickly following him to the door and rushing outside into the cool December air.

"Where's your car?" Jackson asked.

Ash's head snapped so fast in Jackson's direction that he was surprised it didn't fall off. Mullet man shot Jackson an incredulous 'what the hell' look. "_My car_?" he asked, as if completely baffled by the idea. "Since _when_ do I got a license, J? I'm not driving. _You_ _are_."

"O—oh, _great_," Jackson muttered, sarcasm dripping through his words as the two of them rushed Riley towards his old blue jeep that was once his father's. Jackson ran ahead of Ash and opened up the back door for them to get inside. He bounced nervously on his feet as Ash got the two of them settled in the seats. He slammed the back door shut and ran towards the driver's side and jumped in, quickly starting the engine and backing out of his parking-spot as if he was driving a get-away car for thieves that just robbed a national bank. They sped down the road, obviously paying no mind to the speed limits at the moment. Jackson kept glancing between the asphalt in front of him and the rearview mirror that gave him a perfect view of Ash and Riley. He felt his brows furrow in realization. Just where the hell was he driving to? "Uh, Ash—where exactly _is_ the hospital?" he asked shakily.

Ash didn't even look up at Jackson to respond. He kept his eyes strictly on Riley. "It's about three exits, right off the highway. There's a sign just before you turn off the exit," he said as he pushed away some of the hair that fell in Riley's face. He glanced up and out the window before turning to Jackson, a fierce expression on his face. "Step on it, J!"

Eight minutes. It took eight minutes for the three of them to reach the hospital. The tires of Jackson's jeep screeched loudly as he slammed his foot on the breaks in front of the entrance of the emergency room. Ash wasted no time as he jumped out of the jeep with Riley in his arms, having Jackson quickly follow behind as they ran for the big glass sliding doors. The UV lights were incredibly bright and there were doctors and nurses rushing all around the area, tending to patients and filling out paperwork, and just doing doctor things as Jackson would have liked to put it.

"We need help over here!" Ash's voice boomed. He spared another glance down at Riley and noticed the beads of sweat that was dripping on her forehead. It didn't take Jackson long to notice it too, considering he was staring with an expression that read: 'oh shit.' Both Jackson and Ash felt incredibly helpless in that moment. Neither of them had any idea what could be wrong with heir friend._ What if she was dying? Was she dying? Oh my god, Riley, you better not freakin' die on me. If you die I will kill you myself… that didn't sound right._ Jackson shook his head, trying to not let his mind consume him and he realized that a swarm of doctors and nurses had surrounded the trio, asking a mllion questions a minute, all questions that they did not know the answers to.

It almost felt like there was this white noise in the background as everything was in motion. All the voices blended into one high-pitched sound. Before Ash and Jackson knew it, Riley was no longer in the safety of Ash's arms and had been placed onto a gurney several feet away with several other doctors and nurses tending to her. They were all muttering medical terms that Jackson couldn't really follow or understand and by the look of Ash's expression, it was easy to say that he didn't either. Jackson and Ash were racing down the hallway along side with them, wanting to remain close as possible to Riley. The head doctor of the group turned to face the two of them. He was an older man, what little left of his hair had gone gray and his pale blue eyes were enlarged by the thick lenses of his glasses. He had a deep frown etched on his features and with a soft voice he asked, "Can you please tell me what's wrong?"

Both Ash and Jackson watched with eyes full of horror as one of the nurses stated that Riley's blood pressure was sky rocketing. Jackson looked at the doctor in question, an incredulous expression on his face. He glanced down and noticed the small, white pin that was on the left side of his faded lab coat. Philip Atterson MD. That was the name of the doctor that held Riley's life in his hands. Jackson's bold blue eyes glared into his pale ones. _Isn't this guy a doctor? Why the hell is he asking me for my diagnosis? How the hell am I supposed to know? I was freakin' homeschooled! _ "What's _wrong_?" Jackson repeated slowly, his brows furrowing angrily. "She's _sick_! Make it _better_!"

"_Whoa_ there, J-man," Ash said quickly, his eyes growing wide at Jackson's hostility. He grabbed his shoulder and forced him to take a step back. "Calm _down_," he muttered in his ear before turning his attention towards the doctor. In all honesty, he agreed with what Jackson was saying. They weren't medical professionals and they had no idea what the hell was wrong with their friend. He fumbled for words. "We—we don't know exactly," he mumbled quietly. "She was talkin' to us and then she just… passed out."

Doctor Atterson looked at the man with a mullet and gave a slight nod in understanding. "Did she mention any dizziness or any abnormalities as of late?"

Ash could only shrug his shoulders. "Can't say. I—we talked on the phone the other day and she sounded off, but when I asked, she said she was tired. I don't think she's been sleepin' much lately."

Jackson had a pained expression on his face as he stared down the hallway of the hospital. Why didn't he think of it sooner? The past month has been nothing but hectic for Riley and Jackson of all people knew that. She had a huge blow out with the Winchesters after Dean accused her and the rest of her family of spilling their family secret, the constant arguing between Ellen and Jo—Ellen would make a comment on Jo hunting and the petite blonde would go friggin' ape shit on everybody—like _King Kong-_sized ape shit if you catch Jackson's drift. Then apparently she and Ash were secretly doing research about the pendent Brian had given Eric years ago and Eric had given it to Jackson right before he died, telling him to protect it with his life. And to top it off, Riley went out hunting and was working her dad's business. Hunters don't get the regular seven to eight hours of sleep each night. They were lucky to get four or five. But Riley was barely making it past the two hour mark and that was weeks ago. So who even really knows how well she's been sleeping these days. "She hasn't," he said softly. "When she stopped by at Bobby's to spend the week, she must've slept a total of ten hours in the span of five days."

Atterson nodded his head at the two of them in understanding. He gave Jackson and Ash a forced smile. "All right. Thank you. We will do our best to help your friend," he said in the same soft voice he had spoken with before and with that, he turned around and followed the nurses into another room, wheeling Riley with them. Jackson and Ash made to follow, a hundred questions at the tip of their tongues, but they were stopped by two nurses. "I'm sorry, but you're going to have to sit in the waiting area and fill out everything that's on the clip board while Dr Atterson figures out what's wrong with your friend, okay?" The one that blocked Jackson's path spoke with a small smile.

Jackson took the nurse in. She was relatively short and had her brunette hair braided back and out of her face, except for the few baby hairs that escaped and fell along the sides of her face. "Waiting room?" he questioned. _Is she seriously thinking that I'm going to sit around in a friggin' waiting room while my best friend is in there with strangers poking and prodding her? Hell to the freaking no, lady! _"Not happening," he growled lowly.

"Okay, macho-man! You made yer stand, good for you," Ash said, once again grabbing his shoulder and forcing him away from the young nurse. He grabbed the clipboard out of her hands and nodded in thanks. "We will take this," he said, raising the plastic clipboard with several medical forms waiting to be filled out with Riley's information, "and go sit in the waiting room." Ash grabbed a fistful of Jackson's shirt and pulled him towards the waiting area. It was surprisingly empty. Not one person in sight.

_Unbelievable._ "Unbelievable. These guys are unbelievable!" Jackson said angrily. "What—what if she wakes up and she sees all these strange people staring at her with those creepy-ass medical tools and needles and crap, huh? She might think they're aliens getting ready to probe her or something," he ranted to Ash. His eyes then grew wide like he realized something. "Oh god, that would be such a horrible thing to wake up to."

Ash stared at Jackson with a blank expression, causing Jackson to grimace. "Sorry," he mumbled before plopping himself down onto one of the uncomfortable plastic chairs. Ash took a seat across from him and began to fill out what he knew of Riley's personal information. The room stayed quiet for several minutes, the only sound being heard was pen on paper. Jackson stared up at the ceiling and blew out a heavy sigh. "I don't think I've ever felt so useless in my entire life, Ash."

"Whad'ya mean, J?" Ash asked, glancing away from the clipboard to look at his friend.

Jackson shrugged his shoulders. He wasn't even exactly sure what he meant really. "It's just… what the hell _happened_ back there, you know? Was Riley sick before and we were all too busy to notice?" The guilt was rising and it hit Jackson like a freaking tsunami.

"We don't know what's wrong yet, Jackson. We gotta wait for the doctors and see what they say it is," was Ash's response.

Jackson grew quiet again. His mind racing yet again about all the 'what ifs' on how this day could possibly end for them. He couldn't face this life without his best friend standing at his side. Riley was his hunting partner. He couldn't even think about hunting if he was going out there without Riley. He kept repeating the same words over and over again in his mind: she's not going to die, she's not going to die. But he was having a hard time believing them. What would life be like if Riley wasn't around? It would be one shitty-ass life if you asked Jackson. "I can't lose someone else, Ash. I can't live with it. I won't."

"Riley ain't going anywhere, J."

"How do you know that?"

"Because it's Riley."

It was Riley—strong, kick-ass Riley. Crazy, unorthodox hunter that lived on the wild side… well, yeah not really. She did have a love for adventure though—willing to take risks. Jackson thought it made her more badass-er-ish. _Is that even a word? Badass-er-ish? Hm… sounds like it _could_ be a word. It is now a word in the Jackson Hallowell Dictionary. _Ash was right. This was _Riley_ they were talking about. Whatever the hell it was that she was dealing with, she's going to kick it's ass and stomp right outta this dump-hole that they called a hospital. Where the doctors want to hear the friends of the patient's diagnosis first. _Idiots._ Or at least Jackson thought so.

Jackson noticed Ash jump out of his seat, obviously startled and he rummaged in his back pocket of his jeans before pulling out his cellphone and making a face at the screen. He sent a nervous glance at Jackson before flipping it open and raising the speaker to his ear, his eyes never leaving Jackson. "Hey Ellen…"

* * *

_One Week Later._

Maybe they were too overbearing. That was Jackson's thoughts exactly. He was currently leaning against Riley's doorframe of her bedroom, watching her lean against the vanity and shoot him a glare through the mirror. Yeah, this was pretty much how the entire week went. Ellen, Ash, or Jackson stayed with Riley, never leaving her alone in fear that she may collapse again. Of course, in Riley's words, she didn't need a "babysitter" and to kindly get out of her face. When bringing her breakfast in bed two days ago, Jackson thought it was a good idea to question if her moodiness was because it was her time of the month… and that got him an apple chucked at his face. It was a serious question though. But the question unfortunately remained unanswered and shall forever be a mystery.

"You look better," he commented, deciding to ignore the daggers she was shooting him through the reflection of the mirror. It wasn't a total lie. She did look a lot better than she did the day he and Ash rushed her to the emergency room. She got a little color back on her face and the darkened circles under her eyes lessened slightly, but she still looked sick and fatigued. Riley was diagnosed as "a severely sleep-deprived young woman" was the words Dr Atterson had used at the hospital six days ago. They had to put her under some seriously heavy sleep medication to force her body to rest. Atterson had compared her collapse to a car battery dying. It keeps running until the very last minute until it can't anymore and it just shuts down. Riley was suffering from extreme exhaustion. The human body needs sleep in order to function properly. Who knew that being tired could cause this many problems?

He didn't get a response, which honestly didn't surprise him at this point. They were all up her ass and if he was in her position he would probably be crawling on the walls by now. Ellen was the worst out of all of them. Every five minutes she would ask Riley the same questions like "Are you okay?" and "Can I get you anything?" and "Are you feeling better?" He knew Riley was trying her best not to snap at anybody, but everyone has their breaking points. And when Riley finally snapped at Ellen, it wasn't pretty. Ellen grew furious and argued that she was only trying to help and Riley yelled that she doesn't want anyone's help and Ellen shouted that she obviously needs it because she ended up in an emergency room… and you can see where the rest of this is going… like Jackson said, it wasn't pretty.

_Let's poke a button_, Jackson thought to himself. Better to get an angry response than no response at all was his thought process. It was absolutely stupid, but then again, Jackson isn't the brightest of them all. But it didn't stop him from trying. "So… _are_ you feeling better?"

Jackson had to hold back a laugh when he saw Riley's fierce expression through the reflection of their mirror. "I'm fine, J," she growled lowly. _Yeah, fine my ass._ He glanced around the room and noticed all Riley's clothes and the rest of her belongings out of place. Random things tossed carelessly on her desk. Her room was trashed, really. Whatever laughter Jackson had building up quickly died down and he grew somber. One of the many things Jackson relished knowing was Riley's little OCD problem. Everything always had to be organized to the 'T' otherwise all hell would break loose. And currently in Riley's room, Jackson couldn't find one thing that was even semi-organized.

"You're not okay," he stated softly.

"I'm _fine,_" she repeated more harsh than before, causing anger to flare within Jackson.

_God, it was like talking to a brick wall,_ Jackson thought with the roll of his eyes. "You know, saying you're fine doesn't make it true, Ri," he pointed out. She sent another round of heavy glaring through the reflection of the mirror and it made Jackson shrink back a little. Hesitating slightly, he took a few steps inside her room until he was standing in front of her bed. He watched Riley closely and carefully, recognizing the look that Riley hadn't had since her father lost his life: the lack of hope.

He blew out a heavy breath and plopped himself on the unmade bed. This was going to be how they spent their Christmas this year? Riley refusing to leave her room, Ellen pissed off, Jo pissed off and not even here, Ash putting his head in his computer in order to avoid all the tension at the roadhouse, and then Jackson… the guy who wanted to enjoy their holiday, even if he didn't believe in half the crap that was written in the bible.

What Jackson wanted right now was Riley to pull her head out of her ass and actually go out there and kick some ass. "Riley—what you're doing, you're gonna end up killing yourself." It was true. Riley was constantly overworking herself and didn't even bother to notice the toll it was taking on her. And what pissed him off the most was Riley seemed devoid. Jackson's voice grew hard and his eyes narrowed into Riley's brown orbs through the reflection of her mirror. "You heard those doctors! What did they tell you, _huh_? Sleep deprivation. You _collapsed_ Riley!" Jackson started to lose his temper. "You could die from this kind of crap! I would know! I _googled_ it myself while the doctors put you under a medically-induced coma, so you can _sleep_! And you know what? Some of the symptoms are freaking insane, all right!" he yelled, no longer sitting on Riley's bed, but pacing back and forth in her room, arms flailing in all directions.

He was too busy ranting and yelling away to realize that Riley had finally turned around to face him. Jackson abruptly stopped speaking and stood stock-still when he took notice of Riley watching him, his cobalt blue eyes boring into her chocolate browns ones. "You _promised_ me," growled. "You promised be that you would _always_ be here. Don't you _dare_ break that promise. Not _now_. Not _ever_."

Jackson watched Riley swallow and her gaze turn down to the floor. Her eyes were glassy and she took in a shaky breath before giving Jackson a nod. He could practically see the gears turning in Riley's head. He could feel the pressure that was weighing down on his best friend. He understood it too. Everything has been building up since day one and Riley held things inside until it exploded. Jackson _needed_ for her to know that no way in hell was she alone in this. Even though he might not be the best or smartest guy out there, Riley had to know that he would always stand by her side. And it wasn't only him. Riley had everyone to back her up—Ellen, Ash, Jo, and of course him. Jackson thought that the Winchesters would too. He could see that the guilt was eating at her for what had been going on for the last week.

What Jackson didn't know was that Riley began to feel selfish for sulking and closing everyone off the way she had. And here was Jackson—her best friend—the eighteen-year old kid who had just lost his father—trying to help _her_.

If Riley looked closer, she would have noticed that Jackson's eyes were glazed over along with her own. _You're gonna be okay, J. You got me. You always got me. _She remembered the night she told him that at the crossroads. Jacks had been only seconds away from making a deal that would have earned him a one-way ticket to the inferno for eternity. _That_ thought alone scared Riley to no end. Was she that dense to think it wasn't the same way for him? That she mattered to Jackson too?

Riley blew out a shaky breath and shook her head, "I'm keeping that promise, J." Her voice sounded gruff due to the fact that she was barely holding back tears. "I'm not going anywhere anytime soon, okay? You always got me." The last four words were spoken in a whisper and her eyes finally met his.

Jackson pushed himself forward and lunged to his best friend—mentor—sister—his girl, engulfing Riley into a tight embrace. His head in the crook of her neck, catching her scent which could only be described as a combination of chocolate and the smell of her deodorant. He felt Riley's shoulders shake slightly as she let out a sob on his shoulder.

"I'm sorry, Jacks," Riley cried. "I am so, so sorry."

Jackson tightened his hold on Riley and the both of them somehow ended up sitting on the floor, the two of them propped up against the side of her bed. "Shh… it's okay, Ri. It's gonna be okay." He cooed and rocked his best friend back and forth until the cries calmed down. He placed a kiss on top of her forehead before leaning his chin on her messy, blonde hair and blew out a quiet sigh.

This was them. This was their friendship. They kept each other sane—well, mostly sane. Riley was Jackson's rock and she was his. They were the ones that held each other up until they crossed the finish-line together. They were a team. They have a sibling bond that is just as strong as those who are blood related. Maybe stronger. If one is about to fall of the cliff, the other is right there to save their ass and pick them back up. It's what they do. From the very beginning, when they first met, Riley jumped to help Jackson and befriend him. She had this urge to protect him just like he did her. Their fathers found their relationship to be something special. And it was. What the two of them have is special—incredibly special. Sure, watching them interact most of the time, it's like watching _Dumb and Dumber._ The situations Jackson and Riley would sometimes find themselves in is just crap that a person can't even make up because of how totally and utterly bizarre it sounded. Every time the two of them would return from a hunting trip and Ellen would make them sit at the bar and retell their story, they would leave the woman shocked and questioning how the hell it was that neither of them died yet. But for as long as the two were standing by each other's side, they planned to go out into the world and kick some supernatural ass.

* * *

**Edited 4.12.15**

**RCH Playlist: (Link of my profile)**

**Scene - Jackson and Riley hugging: _On My Way Back_ by Tony Dekker**

* * *

**A/N:** Well, there it is! Chapter eight finito! I seriously hope you guys liked it. I know it's pretty different compared to my other chapters, but I really did like the way this chapter turned out in the end. I hope this gives you guys a better understanding from where Jackson's coming from. Riley is literally his rock and she's the one that holds him upright the majority of the time, so now it was his turn to hold Riley up. They got a very brother/sister type relationship and they are extremely close, so I hope I did them justice in writing it that way. Let me know what you guys think!

SLEEP DEPRIVATION IS A VERY SERIOUS THING. I took a psychology class a year ago and learned all about the effects that can come about when being sleep deprived. If you're interested, you can youtube some of the experiments that were done to see the extremities of sleep deprivation. It gets pretty scary. So all of you get a goodnight sleep! On another note: depending on the feedback, I was thinking of a possible sequel? Would you guys want that? Or should I stick to ending it season two? Like I've said before my original plan was to write this season and that was it, but I've been playing around with new plot ideas and I kinda want to write them, but you, my lovely readers get to decide! I'll probably post a poll one of these days and hear from you! Let me know in your reviews what you think? Just a possibility.

I also wanted to give a major freaking thanks to those who followed, favorited and reviewed my story thus far! And also to those who went and followed the tumblr page and chatted up on there! I love interacting with you guys and hearing your thoughts and ideas about the story! It's always nice to have more than one opinion. :) And seriously thank you all for sticking with me, I know I suck major butt with updates and replying back to your reviews lately, but school has been hectic. Guys, I think Lucifer was let out of the cage again and took my anatomy professor as a vessel because she's SATAN. Somebody call Sam and Dean ASAP! Haha.

Usually, I PM everyone who had reviewed, but since I barely have time these days, I'm just going to drop the responses over here! A big thank you to those who reviewed! Each one brought a smile to my face and you have no idea how much it motivated me! So keep the love coming! :)

* * *

**Review Responses**

**_NicoleR85:_** Thank you so much for the review! I'm glad you're loving it this far! And I really hope you enjoyed this chapter too! And apologies for the sucky updating! Soon as the workload calms down, expect rapid updates!

**_PonchoV:_** Ah! I'm glad! That was what I was going for, haha! Riley is in a hard place right now and I really wanted to show that in chapter seven while working with Arthur. (AKA superdouche!) You have no idea how happy it makes me when I see that people enjoy my writing. So thank you so much for your support! :) I hope you enjoyed this chapter!

**_Emilia Christine:_** Thank you, darling! I'm so glad you're enjoying it so far and that you love Riley. (I love her too, haha!) Ah, really? That painting is seriously creepy too, lol! I knew I wanted to do some sort of cursed or haunted object for Riley and Arthur's so-called hunt and when I found the painting, I was like yup. This is it, haha. Long story short: Arthur is a total ass. He's got his own story to tell just like everyone else, but Riley didn't do anything to warrant his actions… like at all. She's always saving him and he goes and throws her right to the demons. I was even surprised that Riley forgave him and I wrote it! LOL. But he does have a heart deep down, I guess. He saved her last minute due to guilt, but saved her nonetheless. Don't worry, I think everyone was bipolar when it came to Arthur. The guy's an idiot, what can I say? I hope you enjoyed this chapter and that I did it justice! Thanks so much for the review girly! :) And apologies that these updates take forever to get out!

**_wolfenergy17:_** Ah! Thank you so much! I'm glad you're liking the story so far and that you like Riley's personality! I tried my best not to make her into one of those Mary-Sue characters, so I hope I achieved that! I hope you enjoyed this chapter! Thanks so much for the review! :)


	10. Black

**Riley Carter Harvelle**

**_Chapter Nine:_**** Black**

Possession. It's a horrible experience from what Riley's heard. She remembered being very young—maybe around seven or eight years old, and overhearing a conversation between her father and Aunt Ellen about the recent case he had taken. It wasn't too long after her father and Ellen had spilled the beans to Jo and Riley about the creatures that hid beneath the shadows. It was a frightening conversation for them, of course. To find out that all your worst nightmares are reality. It was also then that Jo discovered that her father's death was no ordinary accident, but something much, much more.

According to her father's words, he and another hunter that she couldn't recall the name of had been working on a case. At first, neither hunter knew what was going on and how these people were suddenly dying under such strange circumstances. Whatever had done it was leaving traces of yellow dust, which turned out to be sulfur. And for those who died, the time of deaths didn't match up. Witnesses would literally see the person convulse and drop to the ground, but when the coroner announced the amount of time they have been dead… it didn't make sense. Riley remembered hearing a dark chuckle escape her father's lips as he stared down at his beer bottle in his hands. Brian looked up at Ellen. "Demonic Possession," he said cynically. Riley remembered Ellen's eyes widen as she stared at Brian. Creatures that crawled out from the deepest depths of hell were actually taking over a person completely, taking away every ounce of free will they had. There was no sense of control. That poor person had to sit back and watch from the back of their mind as the demon did whatever it pleased, which meant bloody chaos.

And apparently, Riley's father had been one of those people.

But unlike the previous victims, his hunting partner had managed to find an exorcism spell that would expel the demon out of the person's body and banish it back to hell. Riley never saw her father cry. It was a rarity to see the man shed a tear. He was too much into his usual childish antics around his daughter to even think about the darkness that clouds his heart and mind. But that night, Riley saw that dam break in her father. And it scared her to no end. Unfortunately, Riley wasn't able to hear the rest of what her father told Ellen, because Ellen's eyes had landed on her and she quickly jumped towards the girl and put her back to bed. Riley never asked about that night and honestly, she wasn't quite sure she wanted to know.

Back then, seeing a demon was rare. Today? Well today, you kind of have to worry if the friendly neighborhood man down the street Mr. Rogers was _really_ Mr. Rogers. There are ways to tell if someone is possessed, like saying "Christo." Demons flinch at the name of God. Holy water also does the trick too. None of that "the power of Christ compels you" crap though. The Exorcism movies aren't all that accurate when it comes to dealing with the real son of a bitches. There are also anti-possession charms, which had been Brian's specialty when it came to his hunting day-trader business. Riley always had hers hanging around her neck or wrapped around her wrist. Better safe than sorry, right? Also, another big advantage is the devil's trap. Get one of those suckers caught inside and they can't do shit to anybody. Usually when dealing with demons, one's best bet was to get it in the trap and exorcise the son of a bitch back to hell and hope that the meat suit was still hanging on. Riley's heart broke at the times when they didn't survive through it. And unfortunately, that was the outcome of the situation the majority of the time.

Even though there are a lot of tells to see that someone is possessed, there are times where the bastards can slip right through and you won't even know what hit you until it's far, far too late.

And unfortunately, that so happened to be the case with Sam Winchester.

A week ago, Riley had been relaxing back at the roadhouse and catching up with an old friend who had just popped back into the states with his father. Ian and his family had been rather close to the Harvelles and Hallowells for quite sometime. Eric had introduced Ian's father Lucas to Brian for a business deal and the guys seemed to have hit it off. And in the meantime, it meant for the kiddies to hang out in the back room, getting into trouble, obviously.

Ian Wilson was no doubt one of the most handsome guys Riley has ever met. Bright blue eyes and floppy brown hair, and let's not forget his charming smile that had most girls craving for his touch. The dude was hot—like Abercrombie, male-model kind of hot. Ian also had the slightest touch of an Australian accent, not exactly surprising considering that was where he spent the first few years of his childhood, but it had faded with time since he's been in the US. He and his father travel the world and hunt supernatural creatures. Ian's mom and little sister Sophie are currently living in Scotland—it's extremely complicated. Honestly, Ian's entire family history is the definition of complicated. But that shall be a story for another time.

Ian was in the mist of calling Riley out on all the crap she had pulled on New Years Eve—yeah, thank Jackson. The idiot spilled the beans of the night they had all sworn to secrecy. Although, she didn't exactly blame Jackson for cracking under Ian. Like Riley said before, Ian was a beautiful and gorgeous man. It wasn't until Riley noticed Ellen's grim expression as she spoke quietly on the phone that she knew something was up. She anxiously waited for her aunt to end the phone call and it turned out that Riley had been right. Something was wrong—really wrong. The words spewed out of her mouth before she could even realize that she was speaking.

"What the hell do you mean Sam is missing?"

And now? Well, as of this moment, Riley was driving in the middle of nowhere-vill with Dean demanding information into her ear about his baby brother who had seemingly disappeared without a trace. Their conversations were rather tense and it was either one or the other who snapped back at each other with each phone call. She hasn't spoken a word to the eldest Winchester since the night she had worked with Sam to save his life from Gordon. And that whole conversation hit the fan pretty fast when he accused her of spilling the big Winchester secret of Sam being a psychic or whatever. Riley had been so angry and frustrated by the accusation. If there was one thing that you should know about Riley Harvelle, other than the extreme sarcasm, she was incredibly loyal to the ones she cares about. And despite that the two of them were currently at odds, Riley had set aside everything and searched for Sam with Dean.

Dean had sent Riley to a small town that was not too far away from where the boys had been staying after finishing up a case about a week ago. Dean had apparently woken up to an empty bed next to him and no sight of his brother. His bags—everything was gone. So Dean had thought that Sam had decided to take another solo trip and made the call to Ellen to see if his dumb ass brother was sitting at the roadhouse with Ash searching up crap on Ava—the missing psychic and or the yellow-eyed demon who was still under the radar. But Sam wasn't at the roadhouse. No one knew where the hell Sam was.

_"Did you talk to the clerk?" _Dean questioned impatiently.

"_Yes_, Dean," Riley snapped back on the phone. She huffed out an aggravated breath and adjusted her grip on the steering wheel while the other hand held her cellphone. "I spoke to the clerk. Listen, I don't think Sam's been here. Maybe he went towards—"

_"__No."_

"What do you mean 'no'?" Riley said. "No _what_? Is it really impossible that Sam could have gone into the town that's in the opposite direction. Dean—"

_"Riley! Just go talk to someone else! Maybe he didn't go into that gas station. There's tons of others around. Go ask them!"_

"Fine!" she shouted. "I'll freaking go—_geez_." She blew out a long sigh as she hit a red light on the main road. "Where are you right now?"

_"Looking for Sam."_

"No shit, Sherlock. I mean like—like a location. Ohio, New Jersey, Planet Moron," she began to list off random places at the top of her head. She smirked at the last place she said on the phone. "Wait—never mind, I know exactly where you are. Or at least where you _should_ be."

_"Hardy har har."_

Riley shook her head even though Dean couldn't see it. "Dean, I've looked everywhere. If Sam just upped and left, he's pretty good at covering his tracks. And I showed around the photo you sent me, nobody's seen him."

The line was silent for a few minutes and Riley actually pulled her phone away from her ear to glance at the screen to make sure Dean didn't hang up on her. It honestly wouldn't have surprised her if he did. He had twice this week, actually. She heard something slam down hard on something and Dean shouted out several vulgar words that made Riley grimace slightly.

_"You suck at this you know,"_ Dean commented over the phone.

Riley huffed and rolled her eyes. "Well then, I guess you do too because you got the same info as me. Absolutely nothing."

_"Ever hear of positive thinking?"_

Riley felt like her eyeballs were going to shoot out of her skull. "Pos—Dean! You are like one of the least optimistic people I know—no offense."

_"Because basically calling me a Debbie-Downer on life isn't offensive at all…"_ Dean grumbled.

"Not the point!" Riley blurted out. "Look, we've got everybody looking for your brother, Dean. We'll find him."

_"Yeah…"_ Dean trailed off quietly. _"Yeah, we will—okay, your aunt is calling me. Maybe she's got somethin'."_

"Yeah okay, let me know."

_"I'll keep you updated," _came Dean's response. Riley was just about to hang up before his voice called out to her once more. _"Hey Riley?"_

"Yeah?"

_"I know I don't make it easy, but… thanks. You know, for helping with Sam."_

Riley felt a smirk tugging at her lips. "No problem."

She heard the distinct click that indicated that Dean had ended the call. Riley blew out a heavy sigh and leaned towards her right to grab the piece of paper that held various locations where Sam could have possibly stopped at. There was one more on the long list of places. She blew out a sigh as she memorized the address. Crumpling up the paper, Riley tossed it back onto the passenger seat and stepped on the gas, zooming down the empty street to yet another gas station where she would hopefully get some answers.

Riley pulled up to Tasty Express gas station a few minutes later and glanced around the area. She noticed an older gentlemen filling up his car a few pumps away from her, his beady brown eyes boring into hers. _Creepy_. Riley shut of the engine, swinging open the car door and stepping out cautiously. She locked her truck with her remote and headed towards the entrance of the small shop. She saw a man near the register trying on several different pairs of sunglasses that were displayed on the rack. He gave a slight nod in her direction which Riley responded with her own weary one. She finally caught sight of the clerk. He looked like your average guy, wearing a red and blue flannel button down with jeans. Riley guessed he was trying to go for the rugged look with his unshaven face and sloppy brunette hair that was pushed carelessly away from his eyes. Keyword being: _trying_. His head lazily turned upward as if he heard her approaching and his eyes suddenly lit up, seeming to grow excited that she was going to speak to him. Riley went to pull out her phone from her back pocket to show the clerk the picture of Sam to see if he recognized him, but her screen suddenly flashed, indicating she had received a text message.

_Dean: Found Sam. Talk later._

Riley felt her brows furrow and then suddenly raise as she read and re-read the message. Snapping her phone shut, Riley shoved it back into her jean pocket and let out a sigh in relief. She grinned at the clerk who was anxiously waiting to start up a conversation with her. Riley had to hold back a laugh when she saw the devastated look on the clerk's face as she strolled out of the shop and back to her truck. Hopping into the driver's seat, Riley felt her brows pull together once again in deep thought. Where did Dean find Sam? Was he okay? What happened? There were so many questions and now she had to wait for Dean's phone call.

Riley suddenly jerked forward and let out a yelp in surprise when her phone vibrated in her back pocket. She grumbled to herself as she reached for it. Without looking at the caller ID she flipped it open and raised the phone to her ear. "Yeah?"

_"Riley!"_ Jackson's pathetic whining voice echoed over the phone. _"Can you come over?"_

"Hello, Jackson," Riley greeted, completely unfazed by her best friend's childish antics. This wasn't an unusual thing for them. Like at all. Riley had questioned quite a few times if Jackson's brain stopped developing after the age of five with the way the guy acted sometimes. Idiot or not, Riley still loved that boy to death.

_"Can you come over? Please?"_

"I sure as hell won't if you keep talking like a ten year old school girl," she replied with the roll of her eyes. "Where are you? Bobby's?"

_"Yes! Yes! Yes!" _Jackson cheered in excitement, continuing in the annoying voice that was grating Riley's ears. _"We can even have a sleep over! Pillow fights, eating popcorn, talking about _boys_—the whole shebang! It'll be great!"_

"How bout I keep my promise about throwing that brick at your balls, J?"

She heard him let out a sigh and respond in his normal voice. _"Fine."_

"Thank god," Riley muttered under her breath. "I'm a few hours away from South Dakota. Should be there a little after dark."

_"I'll get my leopard-print footsie pajamas ready then,"_ Jackson said. Riley could almost hear the smirk that was plastered on his lips. When the two of them stayed over Bobby's house, it was like a freaking three-ring circus. But hey, at least the old man got some entertainment. Although, he was far from pleased when Jackson knocked over his bookshelf of priceless, one of a kind books.

"You're just ready to strip away whatever's left of your manhood, aren't you, Jacks?" Riley questioned, a smirk growing on her own face as she let out a small chuckle. Before Jackson could defend himself any further Riley spoke again. "I'll see you tonight." With that being said, she hung up the phone and held it against her lips in deep thought. When the hell was Dean going to call and give her an explanation for Sam's disappearance It wasn't like she was searching all over the damn place to help find him—note the sarcasm. carelessly tossed it on the passenger seat. She glanced at the clock at let out a small groan. It was going to be a long drive.

* * *

"Idjit, what the hell are you doin'? Stop destroying my house!"

Jackson grinned sheepishly from his newly made fortress that took over the entire living room of Bobby Singer's house. The old man was seated at his desk, his pale blue eyes glaring daggers at the nineteen year old boy. "Sorry, Bobby," Jackson apologized, not at all sorry and they both knew it.

"What are you six?" Bobby asked, his eyes narrowing into slits from under his baseball cap.

"No! I turned nineteen like almost four months ago," Jackson told him, giving him an incredulous look. "Dude, you seriously suck at math."

"Blow it out of your ass, Hallowell."

Jackson merely smirked, his eyes sparkling with mischief. "Gladly."

"Jackson—" Bobby's eyes grew wide in warning. "I swear on everything that's on this godforsaken earth, I will shoot you if you stink up my house."

"But you love me too much."

"Shut up."

Jackson chuckled and made himself comfortable on the floor. He stared at his fingers in thought for a few minutes. He knew that Bobby was most definitely grateful for the silences that ticked by, but Jackson was never one to sit in silence. Never. He pursed his lips and wondered when he and Riley would get to work on another case. The last job they worked on turned out to be a total accident. Their New Year trip to see Jo in Minnesota, another bar she started working at since she still refused to come home to Ellen.

Jackson would be lying if he said he wasn't growing frustrated by the two constantly going at each other's throats. In his honest opinion, he was all for Jo hunting. He had fun when Jo tagged along on his and Riley's hunt. Well, as much fun as one could have while hunting, anyway. He understood Ellen's hesitancy to let her daughter hunt. But Riley did it—after her father's OK, but Riley kicked ass, and from what Jackson's seen, Jo can kick some ass too. Also, Jo may or may not have kicked Jackson's ass once when he wouldn't let up with the teasing. Jackson denied everything if he was asked.

Their little trip to see Jo was supposed to be a night filled with beer and good conversation. But that whole idea flew out the window like a bat flying out of hell. Shit seemed to get worse and worse as he, Riley, and Ash discovered the events that occurred that night. You know, like why the hell Riley looked like she had been run over by a bulldozer and Ash waking up dressed as a Native American. They unfortunately never solved the mystery of why Jackson woke up naked. And Jackson was pretty sure that Riley and Ash didn't want to find out that particular reason either.

Jackson was looking forward to seeing his best friend. He only saw her a few times since New Years. Jackson was sticking around Bobby's while they still barreled through some of his father's library that was packed away in Bobby's basement. There was just so much to cover. He and Bobby barely had gotten through the first two boxes since November and it was now nearing February. They still had a good seven or eight boxes to look through. Jackson spent a lot of time looking for other ways to try and get his father out of hell. He didn't show it much, but it was killing Jackson that his dad was being tortured down there all because of _him_. His father chose to save his son's life rather than just move on. Sometimes Jackson cursed his father for making such a selfish decision. Yeah, Jackson would get a second chance at life, but at the cost of his father's ten years after the deal was due. But then he would have never gotten to meet Riley or have any of these bizarre adventures with his closest friends that he considered family. So, Jackson was grateful in the end for what his father did for him. He would always be grateful for his father, because it was him who played a large role in making Jackson who he is today.

Jackson blew out a sigh and angled his head upward so he can see Bobby. The majority of Bobby's face was hidden underneath his old and torn baseball cap, his head buried into another book from Eric's collection.

"Bobby?"

The old man slowly turned his head up and his eyes found Jackson's figure sprawled out on the floor awkwardly. He pursed his lips in annoyance and raised his brows. "Yeah?"

"I'm _bored_."

"Well, boo hoo, _princess._ Clean this crap up before the other idjit comes."

Before Jackson could give another smart-ass remark, the sound of an engine was heard from the salvage yard, the headlights peering into the dusty windows of Bobby's home. Jackson merely smirked at the old man as he jumped to his feet and placed his hands on his hips. "Looks like the party at Casa Del Singer has officially begun," he stated. Raising a fist into the air, Jackson shouted, "this is for _Sparta_!" He then proceeded to ram across his fortress and have the several blankets, towels, and chairs come crashing down on the floor. The loud ruckus causing Bobby to curse as he slammed his book shut and slamming it onto the desk. There was no use in research now. Not when Thing 1 and Thing 2 were in the general vicinity.

A few moments later, a blonde silhouette peeked through the frame of the library. A grin plastered on her face as she stared down at Bobby. "Why look at that!" Riley said, talking like she was narrating some Wildlife television show. "It's a Bobby Singer in it's natural habitat!" she pointed a finger in Bobby's direction. "How fascinating."

Bobby rolled his eyes and shook his head. He stared up at the ceiling and prayed to the heavens. "Why?" he muttered, his eyes trailing over the devil's tap that was painted above him. "What the hell did I do to deserve this?"

Riley scoffed and shook her head. "Oh stop your bitching, old man!" she remarked, an amused smirk still etching her features. She rolled her eyes dramatically. "And you say that me _and_ Jackson bitch a lot—well, Jackson does, but that's normal."

"Right!" Jackson readily agreed before his eyes grew wide in realization. "Wait—_hey_! Riley, that's not true!" he cried, looking insulted.

Riley shrugged her shoulders. "I only speak the truth."

"Well it's not very nice."

"The truth hurts."

"Hey!" Bobby shouted, successfully cutting off Riley and Jackson's bickering. "Shut it! And clean up this damn mess!" He huffed out an aggravated sigh after watching the two young hunters stare at Bobby with wide eyes before slowly walking towards the living room and surveying what was left of Jackson's fort. He ran a hand down his face and shook his head tiredly. "_Damn_."

Meanwhile, in the other room stood a very annoyed Riley and a sheepish Jackson as they stood in front of a decimated fortress. Riley stared at Jackson, her mouth open slightly before she turned back to face the wreckage. "_Dude_—" Riley said, tilting her head to the side. "This must have been one awesome-ass tent."

Jackson sighed and nodded his head in agreement. "It was."

The two of them stood silently for a few moments before Jackson felt a slap on the back of his head. "_Ow_—!" he cried out, pressing his hands against his raven black hair and stumbled forward, tripping over a fallen chair and colliding into the pile that was once Jackson's fortress. He let out a pathetic groan before looking up to see Riley leaning against the fireplace with a satisfied smirk playing on her lips. She chuckled slightly before walking towards the library to see Bobby sipping on a beer and his head buried in a book once more. "Whatcha reading?"

Bobby glanced up at Riley and rolled his eyes. "I think the better question is, why are you here bothering me when you should be in there—" he pointed a finger in the direction of the destroyed tent with Jackson still sprawled on top of it. "Cleaning the mess in my living room."

Riley furrowed her brows in confusion. "Jackson made the mess, therefore he cleans it up," she stated as if it had been obvious. "Basic rules for a five year old to live by, no?"

"_Hey_!" Jackson yelled, finally getting to his knees. His eyes narrowed into slits as he stared Riley down. "I'm nineteen!" he quickly defended himself before shaking his head and mumbling that they seriously needed basic math lessons.

"Idjits," Bobby growled out. "_Go_."

"Fine!" Riley said, throwing her hands up in the air in defeat. "But I just wanted to ask if you heard from Sam or Dean lately."

Bobby frowned from his seat. "I haven't heard from those dumbasses for a few weeks now. Why do you wanna know?"

"Because Sam went missing for over a week?" Riley pointed out, her brows furrowed deeply. She was really surprised that the older hunter wasn't notified about the younger Winchester's disappearance. "Did Dean not call you?" By the expression on his face, it was obvious that Bobby had not been aware of the sick game of hide-and-seek that had been going on for the past eight days. Riley sighed as she stared at Bobby from her spot in the library. "He didn't tell you…"

Bobby huffed out an aggravated breath and looked up at Riley questionably. "What did those two idjits get themselves into now?"

Riley shrugged her shoulders. "Hell if I know. Dean had me driving to one town to the next to see if anyone's seen Sam. Dude just up and leaves from his bed a week ago. Apparently Dean found him but there hasn't been any word—hence, why I'm asking you."

Bobby slammed his beer bottle down on his desk. "Balls," he muttered lowly before shaking his head. "Well, if my answer wasn't clear before—I got no clue about those two. Like I said, I haven't talked to them for a few weeks."

Just as Riley was going to open her mouth to say something, Jackson entered the library, a pillow tucked under his arm. He looked at Riley pointedly. "I'll clean up," he said, jerking a thumb back at the mess. "You get the beer from the fridge in the garage. Mr. Alcoholic over here finished all the booze in the kitchen." Jackson's eyes peering down at Bobby's in mock annoyance before he faced Riley. "Deal?"

"It's _my_ booze!" Bobby snapped back at Jackson.

"Oh my god," Riley groaned, shaking her head. "Jackson—go clean up the living room already!" she cried out. She grabbed the pillow from Jackson and swung at him, successfully hitting him in the face. Always having a flare for the dramatics, Jackson slammed his back into one of the shelves from the blow, knocking down several books. The two of them froze, their heads slowly turning to look at Bobby. Seeing his fierce expression, Riley and Jackson backed away slowly.

"I'm going to get the beer," Riley practically whispered.

Jackson nodded his head. "Good. I'll clean up here and then we can hide before Bobby murders us and buries our dead corpses in his backyard."

Bobby didn't take his eyes off the two. "Good plan," he said, tone dripping of sarcasm.

Riley busted through the back door, entering the salvage yard. She jumped ever-so-slightly as the door slammed shut, causing Bobby to curse about them literally bringing his damn house down. Riley let out a snort at that and began trudging towards the garage to get the beer. She entered quietly and raised her left hand, blindly searching for the light switch. Once it flickered on, she strolled towards the old, worn-down refrigerator and grabbed a new case of beer. She spun on her heels and let out a shriek when she noticed that there was someone standing barely two feet behind her.

"Jesus _Christ_, Sam!" she snapped, staring at the younger Winchester with wide, disturbed eyes. "What the actual _hell_, dude? Ever hear of personal space? Or how bout how to _not_ give your friends freaking heart attacks! And if you have, then you, sir, are clearly doing it wrong."

Sam let out an unearthly chuckle, his dark eyes boring into her own. "Sorry."

Riley stared at Sam for a long moment. She was seriously getting weird vibes off him, and she never had felt that way towards Sam, ever.

Swallowing hard, Riley attempted to send him her usual sarcastic smirk. "We should put a bell around your neck or something," she commented, nodding her head in agreement with herself. "It will alert us of your presence, you know?"

Sam's lips quirked upward, but he didn't make a reply. Riley pursued her lips together before she squeezed her left hand into a fist and pounded it harshly against Sam's shoulder, both the force and surprise had caused the giant to stumble back a few steps. His eyes widened, clearly shocked at the action, but Riley simply shrugged it off. "That's for making me hunt your ass down for over a week. What the hell, Sam? Trying to pull a Houdini? Sorry to break it to you, pal, but you're no magician."

"I don't remember what happened over the last week, that's what Dean and I were trying to figure out," Sam said, a frustrated frown on his face as he stared at the cement floor of the garage.

Riley's semi-annoyed expression immediately softened and she grew concerned at what the hell was really going on with baby Winchester. "Sam," Riley said softly. "What happened to you?"

Sam's eyes raised up from the ground, his sad, green eyes meeting her chocolate brown ones, "Riley—I have no idea what happened to me this entire week. That's why I'm here. Dean's got another lead and I needed Bobby's help on this," he said intently. "Could use yours too, honestly."

"Of course, I'll help you, Sam," Riley said quickly and she was more than sincere with her words. She had just spent the last week searching for the guy, despite having to work with his dickhead brother in order to do so. And the sad part? Riley wasn't quite sure why she was going it. Well, she obviously knew why she was doing it, but she didn't exactly want to admit she has been, maybe, quite possibly… _crushing_ on Sam Winchester? God, she felt like she was in high school all over again. All those petty girls talking about those jock boys with her pretty hair and pretty this and pretty that. It annoyed Riley to no end, because she was now sounding like those pain-in-the-ass girls she despised when she was fourteen.

Riley didn't even know where that even came from. Sam was obviously really good looking and he had that puppy-dog expression that you couldn't just say no to. He was incredibly sweet and she saw it first hand what he would do in order to save the people he loves. She admired Sam for his bravery and the strength he has to keep going. After all the crap he and his brother had been through in just this past year alone, Riley wasn't sure how the two of them were still standing on their own feet, still kicking ass.

She blew out a sigh and shook away her thoughts. She raised the pack of beer that she had managed to keep in her hand even after Sam scared the living crap out of her. "How bout we talk about this over a drink?" she asked with a raised brow.

Sam smirked, but it didn't seem like his own. He gave a quick nod before waving a hand towards the door, indicating for Riley to go. Riley frowned a bit before walking in front of him. She exited out of the garage with Sam closely behind. "So any ideas on what the hell happened over the last week?" she questioned, sending Sam a side glance.

He shook his head. "No, I don't remember a thing. But apparently I did some crazy stuff, according to some witnesses."

"Witnesses?" Riley paused, staring at Sam with wide eyes. "Well, what did they say? What did you do?"

"I don't know Riley! I don't remember!" Sam snapped, causing Riley to flinch. He huffed when he noticed her pinched up expression. "Sorry."

Riley simply shrugged her shoulders, accepting the apology. "It's okay," she said softly. "Stupid question."

"It's just—" Sam started before cutting himself off with a sardonic laugh. "It's just so _frustrating_, you know?"

Riley stared at Sam weirdly. "Yeah," she said, voice trailing off, her eyes never leaving his face, as if she was searching for something. But she wasn't exactly sure what she should be looking for. She let out a sigh and shook her head. "Okay—well, let's see… what supernatural creature can cause memory loss?" she questioned as her eyes stared up at the sky, her brows furrowed in deep thought. "I remember my dad telling me a story of some monster that fed on brain matter or something," she recalled. "Don't remember what it's called though," she said, grimacing; suddenly realizing that her ramblings were absolutely no help at all. "There's also possession. Ghost possession can cause it and so can being possessed by a demon." She smirked up at Sam. "Should I go get the salt and holy water, Sam?" she asked jokingly. "Anyone up there in your noggin, buddy? You know if you say _Christo_—" the smirk on Riley's lips immediately dropped when Sam flinched back, his eyes shut tight as he bowed his head down. "A demon would _flinch_," she finished quietly.

Riley watched slowly as Sam raised his head and opened his eyes only to meet black orbs rather than his forest green ones. Riley couldn't even stop herself from chuckling at the irony of this entire situation. "And you're possessed," she stated, never taking her eyes off him. Riley bopped her head up and down, pursing her lips tight and thinking how freaking screwed she was. "_Great_."

She seriously wanted to kick herself for not having a weapon on her. She always had a weapon on her person, except right at this moment, when she seriously freaking needed it. "Oh boy," she muttered, stumbling back several steps, watching Sam mirror them as he treaded closer and closer to her. Riley glanced behind her and saw her truck parked about fifteen feet away, if she could get to it in time, she could grab the holy water, which could be enough to hold Sam off until she could get inside and tell the others. She spun on heels and sprinted towards her vehicle, she was barely five feet away when a large mass pounced on her and she toppled to the ground. Riley let out a surprise yelp when she face-planted into the dirt. She quickly pushed herself up to only be kicked over and onto her back. Riley tried to distance herself from Sam by backing up on her elbows, grimacing and in pain from the fall and kick to her side. She felt her eyes widen even more when she saw a familiar figure appear behind Sam and a beer bottle swung at the younger Winchester's head, causing the bottle to shatter and Sam to collapse onto the ground.

Riley stared at Sam's unconscious body, surprised that he even went down that easily. She glanced up at Jackson, eyes full of relief. "What the hell took you so long?"

Jackson simply shrugged his shoulders. "I thought you were taking your sweet-ass time as usual. Then I heard the commotion from the kitchen and came out to see what the hell you were doing and I found this one going King Kong on your ass. I thought _he_ was supposed to be the nicer one?"

Riley scoffed and rolled her eyes at her best friend. "He's possessed, idiot." She pulled herself off the ground, accepting Jackson's hand to help her get onto her feet. "Come on, let's get 'em inside and into a devil's trap. Then we'll call Dean."

The two of them grabbed the younger Winchester's unconscious body and dragged him towards the Singer home, having some difficulty getting Sam's gigantic ass inside. The dude was a giant. "Bobby!" Riley called from the kitchen. "Need help in here!"

"Idjit—how hard is it to get the goddamn beer out of—" Bobby started before his eyes caught sight of Riley and Jackson holding Sam's deadweight in the doorway. "What in the hell—"

"He's _possessed_, Bobby!" Jackson snapped back, sounding quite sassy. "Get with the program," he said, letting go of his hold on Sam, to snap his fingers and do some weird head bop. He didn't even realize the extra weight that he had unintentionally put on Riley when he let go of Sam, nearly caused Riley to collapse onto the kitchen floor.

"Jackson!" Riley cried, trying to adjust her hold on Sam. "Freakin' help me, dammit!"

Jackson realized his mistake and grimaced before bending down and helping her out. "Sorry, sorry."

Bobby shook his head. "Unbelievable," he muttered before nodding his head towards the library. "Got the trap in the library. Gonna need yer help movin' some crap around to make room. Come on."

Both Riley and Jackson dragged Sam's deadweight into the Singer library where Bobby had just about got done pushing his desk aside. The two laid Sam gently down, making sure his body was within the bounds of the trap, then they got to work; moving various pieces of furniture. Jackson had ran into the kitchen and grabbed one of the chairs that was placed next to the table. He lifted it over his head and marched back into the library and set it down in the center of the devil's trap. Bobby bent down along with Jackson to pick Sam's body up and off the ground and sat him in the chair. Riley had come rushing back inside with rope in her hands, she got down on her knees and went to work with tying Sam's body to the chair before the demon that was currently inhabiting him woke up.

The three of them had just finished when the back door swung open and revealed the eldest Winchester, his eyes wide and fearful. He stumbled into the library screaming Bobby's name before coming to a sudden stop in the library, catching sight of Bobby standing several feet away from his unconscious brother with his arms crossed in front of his chest, an annoyed expression covering his features. Riley stood to his left, running a hand across her tired face. And Jackson on Bobby's other side, was smirking up at Dean. "Ah! Dean! You made it to the slumber party!" he said sarcastically. He placed his hands on his hips and shook his head. "Oh and fun fact? You're bother is possessed by a dick."

Dean sent a glare in Jackson's direction before turning to Bobby and Riley. "You guys okay?"

Riley shot him a sympathetic smile. "We're good, Dean." She looked at Sam who was still unmoving in his seat. "I'm not exactly sure about him, though," she said somberly. "What the hell happened, Dean? Was he possessed this whole time?"

Dean didn't have a chance to reply because Jackson jumped forward. "Dude—did you get _shot_?"

Riley and Bobby seemed to realize Dean's limp arm and both of their eyes grew wide in concern. "Oh my god—are you okay?" She stepped forward and raised a hand to observe the wound, but Dean quickly slapped it away.

"I'm fine! I'm fine! Jo patched me up."

"Jo?" Riley repeated. "_My_ Jo? Small blonde spitfire Jo? Where the hell did you see her? Oh my—did he hurt her?" she demanded, pointing a finger in Sam's direction. "Where is she—?"

Dean immediately realized his mistake of bringing up Riley's cousin. "She's fine. You guys can catch up later. But right now, I'd like to exorcise this son of a bitch out of my brother, _please_."

Riley backed off and nodded her head in agreement. "Yeah, yeah. Okay."

"Great," Bobby cut in. "Now that we're done chit chattin' how bout we get on with it, yeah?"

Riley rolled her eyes at the old man as they all turned their attention to Sam Winchester. Dean strut forward, his right hand tightened to a fist and he swung at his brother's jaw. "Hey!" he bellowed angrily.

Sam's eyes shot open, letting out a groan. His head slowly turned upward until his dark green eyes connected to the devil's trap that was painted on Bobby's ceiling. The demon inside Sam huffed as he made eye contact with Dean. His hair was all disheveled and there was a glimmer in his eyes that spelled evil and cunning. He shot a smirk Dean's way and lazily tilted his head back. "Dean. Back from the dead. Getting to be a regular thing for you, isn't it? Like a cockroach," he wisecracked. Riley, Bobby, and Jackson, who were all standing several steps behind Dean all shot nervous side glances at one another before turning their attention back to the demon.

"How bout a smack that smart-ass right out of your mouth?" Dean snapped.

"Oh careful, now," the demon chided. "Wouldn't want to bruise this fine packaging."

Dean smirked. "Oh, don't worry, this isn't gonna hurt Sam much." He turned his head behind him, giving Riley and Jackson the signal. Apparently, Bobby had blessed a bucket of water, which is like acid to a demon in the mist of everything. The white bucket was sitting in the corner of the room just waiting to be tossed into the face of the demon. "You on the other hand…"

Jackson smirked as he reached for the bucket. "You know, you demons are like cats," he stated. "You both seem to hate the water." He watched Riley from the corner of his eye trying hard to hold back a snort. He shrugged his shoulders apathetically before looking down at the giant bucket in his hands. "Oh, well." With one fluid motion, Jackson swung the bucket forward, letting all of its contents fly out and splash onto the demon. The water sizzled on Sam's skin as if it was on fire, and the demon screeched loudly. Jackson could only purse his lips together. "_Oops_."

"Feel like talking _now_?" Dean asked harshly.

The demon was panting heavily. "Sam's still my meat puppet," he gritted out, his cold eyes glaring into Dean's. "I'll make him bite of his tongue."

"No," Dean corrected. "You wont be in him long enough." Without even looking away from Sam, Dean called out to Bobby, giving him the signal to start the exorcism.

Once Bobby started reading latin exorcism from the small leather journal in his hands, Riley stepped forward next to Dean. She watched how the demon heaved as he glared up at the elder Winchester. Riley raised a hand in the hair and wiggled her fingers. "Too-da-loo, señor hell bitch."

As Bobby continued on with the spell, Riley, Jackson, and Dean watched the demon struggle under his binds. "See, whatever bitch-boy master plan you demons are cooking up? You're not getting Sam. You understand me? Because I'm gonna kill every one of you first," Dean said with gritted teeth.

Everything seemed to freeze when the demon swung Sam's head back and howled in laughter. Bobby had stopped reading, his eyes wide from under his ball cap as he stared at the demon. Riley took a step back, now next to Jackson, who was now gawking at the scene in front of him. Riley slowly glanced at Dean, who's expression showed nothing but pure adulterated rage.

"You really think what this is about?" he asked, still chuckling. "The master plan? I don't give a _rat's ass_ about the master plan."

Dean snapped his head in Bobby's direction, which caused the man to continue on reading the exorcism. The other three turned their attention back to the demon who was merely smirking up at them. Riley felt her heart beginning to beat faster and faster. Shouldn't the demon still be withering in pain right about now? They were more than halfway through the exorcism. But the demon inhabiting Sam now seemed to be unaffected by the latin words.

Sam's eyes slowly turned to Jackson. "_Oops_!" he echoed. "Doesn't seem to be working. See, I learned a few new tricks." He dropped his head to his chest and began to chant in latin, a spell that none of the hunters understood. The fire in the fireplace shot up, causing the four to jump back in surprise.

Riley looked at Dean with wide eyes. "What do we do now?!" she cried. "What the hell is he doing?! What is that?"

All the books and papers that Riley, Jackson, and Bobby had moved began to fly in the air and crash onto the floor. Dean looked at Riley, his own green eyes wide with fear. "This isn't going like I pictured!" he said over the chanting and the howling wind that seemed to appear out of nowhere. "What's going on, Bobby?"

Bobby rushed forward to Sam and pulled up his shirt sleeve. His eyes grew wide when he caught sight of the welt that was burned into Sam's forearm. A binding link. A sure fire way to keep a demon locked inside their host. "It's a binding link!" he shouted over Sam. "It's like a lock! He locked himself inside Sam's body!"

Jackson's head snapped back and forth between Dean, Bobby, and Riley. "Well?! Get the goddamn key and unlock it then! Let's evict this friggin' bitch already!"

"What the hell do we do?!" Dean shouted, throwing his hands up in the air.

"I don't know!" Bobby yelled back.

Riley knew exactly what to do. She was thankful for all the knowledge she gained from her father's business over the years. "Well, I freaking do!" she said loudly. "We gotta—"

Before Riley could finish, Sam's throat let out one final screech and the four hunters watched Bobby's devil's trap crack; successfully breaking the trap and freeing the demon. Riley stared at the ceiling breathless. "Crap."

"There," the demon growled, cracking his neck and revealing the black orbs where Sam's forest green eyes once were. "That's better." His head snapped in Bobby's direction and not a minute later did Bobby go flying in the air and into the same bookshelf that Riley and Jackson had knocked books over earlier. Books and pieces of the wooden furniture came crashing down on top of him.

"Crap," Riley cursed once again. She felt Jackson grab onto the collar of her flannel shirt tightly. Neither of them even had time to yelp in surprise when the demon glared into their direction and sent the two of them crashing into Bobby's desk that was piled with books. Riley could have sworn she heard a rib or two crack when she smacked against the corner of the desk. "_Crap_," she muttered for the third time before sliding down the wooden surface and cradled her side. Unlike Riley, Jackson had flown over the desk entirely, grazing several books that were stacked high on the table; although his turnout didn't fare much better than his best friend. Since Bobby's desk hadn't been the force that stopped Jackson from heaving through the air, the wall where a dusty old mirror hung, unfortunately did. Glass shattered and cut into Jackson's skin after he smacked face first against the wall.

Dean was the only one left standing, but not for long. Sam's eyes connected with Dean's and the elder Winchester was sent flying and his back slammed up onto the frame of the wall. The holy flask that Dean was gripping tightly in his hands had crashed onto the floor due to the impact. Now free of his bonds, the demon stalked over to Dean. "You know when people want to describe the worse possible thing? They say it's like hell," he commented, now on his knees and merely inches away from Dean. He grabbed a fistful of Dean's shirt and raised his other clenched fist and took a swing, socking him right on the jaw. "You know there's a reason for that. Hell is like, um—" he paused, swinging his fist once more and punching Dean again. "Well, it's like _hell_. Even for demons."

Riley watched in horror from her position on the floor as the demon possessing Sam beat his brother to a bloody pulp. She tried to push herself up against the desk and onto her feet. They needed to break the link. And if the binding symbol was seared onto Sam's skin like a burn, then the break in the link would have to be burned onto his skin too. She kept glancing back and forth between the fireplace and Dean and Sam as she tried to reached the iron pokers. She shoved the tip of the iron poker into the fire place and watched it glow orange. Riley listened closely to what the demon was saying and apparently, this demon had crossed paths with the Winchesters once before. And like they attempted to do before, they had exorcised it and sent it back to hell. The demon who calls herself Meg had crawled out and possessed Sam for revenge. Riley felt her heart ache for Dean when the demon mentioned seeing his father downstairs. She looked in Jackson's direction and was thankful for once that the boy wasn't conscious to listen in on this conversation. That's all he needed to hear.

Meg continued to taunt Dean. "But whatever I do to you, it's nothing compared to what you'll do to yourself, is it?" Meg scoffed. "I can see it in your eyes, Dean. You're worthless. You couldn't save your Dad, and deep down you know that you can't save your brother. They'd have been better off without you." The demon wasn't paying attention to the footsteps that trailed closer and closer behind it. Riley crept as silently as she could with the iron poker held tightly in her hands. Just as Meg raised her fist, preparing to sock Dean in the face once more; Riley caught it and prayed to whoever was listening in thanks that it was the same arm that contained the binding link. Meg looked at Riley in surprise. "Hope you got sunscreen while you were here," she growled out before pressing the hot iron poker against the bind, breaking the spell and expelling the demon from Sam's body. Riley jumped back, letting out a small yelp when she fell on her ass. She, along with Dean watched with wide eyes as black smoke exited through Sam's mouth and entering the fireplace. Sam then collapsed onto the ground, barely a foot away from Riley. She pushed herself towards the youngest Winchester, ignoring the pain in her ribs as she shook Sam's shoulder.

"Sam?"

Sam jerked forward, his eyes wide and confused as he took in his surroundings. Riley fell back when Sam accidentally shoved her, agitating her ribs. She let out a pitiful groan and grabbed at her side. "Jesus Christ!"

Behind her, Bobby had gotten onto his feet and was helping Jackson pull himself off the floor, careful not to touch the small shards of glass that pricked his skin. The two of them cautiously approached them. Dean tiredly leaned his head against one of Bobby's wooden bookshelves and looked at his baby brother. "Sammy?"

Sam slowly took in each of their concerned, beat-up faces from his position on the floor. "Did I miss anything?"

Dean stared at him for a long moment, his eyes full of relief before he scrunched up his face and swung a fist, socking Sam in the same spot Meg had been hitting Dean earlier. Sam cried out in both pain and surprise, his back slammed against a piece of wooden furniture that stood behind him. Riley gawked at the scene before a laugh escaped her lips, causing her to wince and grab at her ribs.

Jackson stood behind Riley, he plucked a shard of glass out of his shoulder blade and tossed it on the ground. He scoffed and shook his head at the three hunters. "Well, this is the last time I invite you guys to my sleepover."

* * *

"Riley, I'm so—"

"Sam, the next time you apologize, I'm going to take a page out of Dean's book and punch you in the face."

"But—"

"Hey," she chided. "Look, being a hunter… we deal with this kind of stuff. It's okay, Sam. I promise."

"I could've killed you," Sam reminded glumly. "Hell, I nearly killed Jo. If Dean hadn't—"

"But he did. Sam, he did. That's all that matters." Riley shot him a tired smile from her seat in the kitchen. "I'm glad you're okay, Sam."

Sam pursed his lips into a small smile, but if Riley had to be honest, it looked more like a grimace. He nodded his head in thanks before getting up and walking towards the library where his brother sat with an icepack held to his face. Jackson was sitting on one of the wooden chairs, carefully plucking out pieces of glass that was still sticking out of his skin. Riley had followed inside and noticed Bobby's grim expression.

"Bobby?" she asked with furrowed brows.

His question was directed towards Sam and Dean. "You boys ever hear of a hunter named Steve Wandell?"

Dean raised his brows as his eyes narrowed at Bobby. "Why do you ask?"

"Just heard from a friend—Wandell's dead. Murdered in his own house," Bobby stated. He looked at Dean carefully. "You wouldn't know anything about that."

Dean shook his head. "No sir. Never heard of the guy."

Sam looked extremely guilty. "Dean—"

"Good," Bobby cut Sam off. "Keep it that way. Wandell's buddies are looking for someone or something to string up, and they're not going to slow down to listen to reason. You understand what I'm saying?"

"We'd better hit the road," Dean said, getting out of his seat. He glanced at Sam, suddenly realizing something. "If, uh, you can remember where we parked the car."

Riley jumped forward from the wooden table she was leaning against. "Wait a sec!" she exclaimed. "Got something for the two of ya." Riley began to walk towards the back door leading out to the salvage yard. "You guys coming?" she questioned with a raised brow.

Sam and Dean glanced at each other before saying their goodbyes to Bobby and Jackson and following Riley outside. They both watched her curiously as she opened the back seat of her truck and revealed all her hunting gear. She picked up a small wooden box; opening it, she pulled out two small charms that hung on silver chains. "Here," she said, placing one into each stretched out hand.

Sam picked it up and observed it closely. "What is it?"

Riley smirked. "Keeps the demons out. Anti-possession charm. Wear it and they can't touch you." She pushed up the sleeve of her flannel of revealed a similar charm hanging off her wrist. "See?"

Dean stared at the charm and then back at Riley. "Where the hell did you get these?"

"It's my job. My dad's business anyway. But hey—you lucky sons of bitches get free of charge. First time customers, eh?" she said jokingly.

Sam laughed softly before thanking Riley once again. He gave her a pat on her shoulder before walking towards where he might have parked the impala. Riley went to go push her seat back and shut the back door of her truck. She was surprised to see that Dean was still standing there and not with his brother, driving away.

"Dean?"

Dean swallowed heavily before blowing out a sigh. "I know I come off like a dick a lot of the time, but after everything that's happened to me and my family…"

"I understand," Riley said softly.

"Look—I trust you. Okay? You, Jackson, Jo, Ellen, Ash… you're good people. I see that now. I'm sorry I didn't realize it sooner," he admitted, voice full of sincerity. "If you weren't here tonight; me, Sammy, and Bobby would have been screwed."

"You make it sound like I'm God's gift to the world," Riley scoffed, shaking her head. "It's my job, Dean. And… even though you try to convince yourself and everyone else otherwise… you and Sam are good too," she stated. "You are."

Dean sent her a small smile before looking behind him, catching sight of Sam and his beloved impala. He was leaning against the hood of his baby, watching him and Riley closely. "You just might be to some people, Riley," he said quietly. He turned to face Riley once more. "Thank you. Again."

Riley watched Dean walk towards his brother and jump inside the impala, driving full speed out of the salvage yard and headed straight for the highway. Her brows were furrowed deeply, Dean's words echoing through her head. She hummed before walking back inside the Singer house and noticed Bobby and Jackson standing in the middle of the disaster that was Bobby's library. Jackson stared at the bookshelf Bobby had crashed into when the demon telepathically tossed his ass into it and a big shit-eating grin appeared on his lips.

Bobby scowled. "What now, idjit?"

Riley watched curiously as Jackson tried his best to hold back his laughter. "Well, it's just—it's just that you always drive me and Riles up the freakin' wall when your books fly off the shelves," he said to Bobby. His eyes raised to meet Bobby's pale blue irises. "But hey—this time, _you_ actually broke the whole goddamn shelf!"

Riley could practically see the steam coming out of Bobby's ears. He grabbed the first book he could reach and tossed it at Jackson's head. The boy yelped and ducked down and the book soared through the air and crashed on the floor, next to said bookshelf. Riley snorted loudly and shook her head at the scene. She looked at Bobby and cleared her throat, preparing herself to speak as if she was once again narrating a Wildlife television show. "It seems as though the grizzled hunter grows agitated when his habitat is being tampered with…"

"Damn it, Riley! Cut the crap out!"

* * *

**RCH Playlist: (Link on my profile)**

**Scene - Riley on the phone with Dean: ****_Paradise_**** by Steve Earle **

**Scene - Jackson at Bobby's house: ****_Bad Kingdom_**** by Moderat**

**Scene - Dean apologizes to Riley &amp; inside the Singer house: ****_Black Water_**** by Apparat**


	11. Bride and Seek Part I

**Riley Carter Harvelle**

**_Chapter Ten:_ Bride and Seek Part I**

Riley Harvelle knew that her life wasn't a Lifetime movie. She didn't expect to have the perks of growing up in a nice house with a white picket fence with a dog running around the backyard. She didn't have both parents working regular day jobs. And she didn't have the normal school experience, or a normal childhood for that matter. But, Riley was anything but normal. Of course, there is a small part of her that longs for that kind of life—one where she could grow up with both of her parents around, get married to a great guy and start a family of her own. But unlike some, Riley knew that dream life was exactly that—a _dream_. It just wasn't in the cards for her, and she accepted that a long time ago. And honestly? She wouldn't have it any other way. If she didn't grow up at the roadhouse, if her father wasn't a hunter… Jackson—everyone she cares about wouldn't be a part of her life, and what kind of life would that be if she wasn't with the people she loves?

She knew that it was just a scenario and it couldn't possibly be any more than that, but Riley can be a pretty deep thinker, her mind drifting to the unknown. Being a hunter—this was her life. There was no white picket fence and she wouldn't be getting married to some guy and start a family with him. Hell, she'd be a lucky son of a bitch if she can stay alive until she's thirty in this life. There are no guarantees. It's a dangerous world out there, and Riley and many other people were living on the more treacherous side of it.

But somehow, Riley found herself doing something that she never thought she'd ever do—something that the people on her side of the world—the treacherous side—doesn't do. It was something that the normal ones do; the ones who live in ignorant bliss, the ones who do not have a single clue of the true evil that lurks in the shadows.

She was going to a wedding.

Obviously, she wasn't attending as a guest. She, Jackson, and Jo were going to successfully _crash_ their first wedding. All for a job—well, more of a favor for a friend Riley and Jackson helped years ago, back when they first started hunting together.

The three hunters were piled up in Riley's truck, on their way to the wedding hall that was gaining a lot of attention due to the recent deaths that took place there. Riley was in the driver's seat with her cousin sitting rather tense in the passenger seat, and Jackson lounging in the back. Riley had been explaining the details of the job when Jackson cut her off.

"Tony? _Poltergeist_ Tony?" Jackson asked, his eyes sparkling with recollection. He huffed out a laugh and shook his head. "Man, I haven't thought about that case in years."

Riley nodded her head and adjusted her grip on the steering wheel. She glanced at the rearview mirror to see Jackson making a face and rubbing his left elbow. Riley couldn't help but snort, remembering _exactly_ what went down in Tony Marino's house like six years ago. "Yeah, Jackson. _That_ Tony." It had been Jackson and Riley's first hunt—sort've. Both of their fathers were there to watch them, and besides, Jackson was still pretty young, sticking him and Riley with research rather than the more physical stuff. Riley couldn't really remember how old they were… Jackson must've been around thirteen, and he decided he was old enough to salt and burn the apparent ghost in Mr. Marino's house by himself. What a shit-show did that situation turn out to be.

Long story short: it was a real wonder how any of them walked away that night with Tony's house still intact.

After Riley's father died, she had decided it would be best to keep his phone line connected since there were so many other hunters that relied on him and his business. She had contacted the phone company and had all his calls forwarded to her cell, it made sense being that she had taken over her father's business. Riley had been surprised to hear Tony's voice echo through the speaker of her phone yesterday. She remembered after they had gotten rid of the poltergeist, Brian had pulled his card out of his back pocket, telling Tony that he could contact him any time if there should ever be a problem that requires a hunter's expertise to fix it. After all these years, it was shocking to see that the man kept it and actually used it to _call_ them.

Tony had updated Riley on the happenings at Bent Hall. Apparently, he couldn't sit at home with his wife anymore, his three girls having gone away to college. So he decided to come out of retirement and for some freaking reason thought it was a brilliant idea to invest in this wedding hall. So now he owns the very place that was the center for disappearing brides and drop-dead grooms—not in the sense if they were good looking, but they would literally just drop dead. Coroner reports state that they all died from suffocation… but they have no idea what the hell these guys even suffocated from. And where did the freaking brides go? No idea. They just vanish out of thin air and their newly weds drop dead. So is this Riley and Co.'s kind of thing?

If you say no then you must be an idiot. Because yes. Yes, this is very much their kind of thing.

Jo looked away from the window, rolling her eyes. "Didn't Jackson get tossed out of a window?" she questioned with a raised brow. She turned around in her seat to face him, a smirk playing on her lips. "Hey, maybe that's why you're an idiot."

"_Hilarious_," Jackson deadpanned. "Just for the record—it was the first floor window."

Jo snorted and shook her head before looking at Riley. "So what exactly is our cover?"

Now it was Jackson's turn to let out a snort. His brows rose and the tone he used was as if he was speaking down to her. "Why Jo," he tisked, shaking his head in sheer amusement. "Doesn't the pit stop at Macy's and using Jan Stewart's credit card to purchase you girls lovely dresses and a mighty fine suit for myself spell it out?" he asked as if she should already know the answer. The scowl on Jo's face was clear and Jackson had to hold back his smile as he hummed and leaned back in his seat. "Maybe _you_ are the idiot."

"Shut your mouth, Jackson," Jo growled. "Before I do it for you."

Riley couldn't help but roll her eyes at both of them. It had been an extremely long car ride with these two constantly going at each other's throats. Jo had gotten in touch with Riley, claiming that she was itching for a hunt. So when this case practically fell into her lap, she rang Jo to tell her to get ready, that she and Jackson were going to leave the roadhouse and pick her up on their way to New York. Ever since that phone call, Riley noticed her cousin had been acting off. Strange. More snappish and sassy than usual. And she was determined to find out exactly why that was.

Riley glanced in the rearview mirror at Jackson then at Jo before her eyes went back to the road in front of her. "All right, you guys. Enough. Jackson's right—"

"Riley!" Jo cried, her brown eyes glaring into Riley's head at the insult she didn't even mean to give.

"Not about that, Jo!" Riley countered, growing annoyed with all the tension buildup in her truck. "I meant about the wedding. We are going to our first wedding." A small smile appeared on her lips at the thought. A part of her always wanted to attend a wedding. To go see the bride in her big, puffy white dress and the groom freshly shaven, ready to commit the rest of his life to the woman he loves…

Her smile was short lived when Jo's voice rang out, dripping of sarcasm. "Yay," she said, rolling her eyes dramatically. "Throwing rice and blowing bubbles at the newly-weds. Such _fun_."

Jackson either didn't notice the sarcasm or decided not to remark on it, which Riley was thankful for. But his brows furrowed in deep thought as he crossed his arms over his chest. "I've never understood why people feel the need to throw rice at the bride and groom. Such a waste of food. I mean—come on! Think of the poor children in Africa!"

Riley couldn't help but snort at that. Of course Jackson would think that. She gave a simple shrug of her shoulders as she turned off the exit. "It's been a tradition that dates back to the early Roman times, I think," she said, remembering an article she read somewhere. "Rice became a common thing to toss in America, but cultures from all over actually threw a lot of different foods other than rice. It's supposed to bring the new couple good luck. The tossing of the rice is like a symbol for fertility and abundance or something."

"Whoa—_seriously_?" Jackson asked, clearly surprised. "What are you? Wikipedia? How do you know this stuff?"

Riley shook her head and laughed. "I like to read. Sue me." She glanced at Jo, noticing how awfully quiet she was. Seeing the sour expression on her cousin's face, Riley blew out a sigh and said, "And sorry to disappoint, but throwing rice at weddings is illegal nowadays."

Jackson leaned forward in his seat, an incredulous expression on his face. Whether it was due to wonderment of how the hell she knew this kind of stuff or the fact that throwing rice was apparently illegal, Riley didn't know. "What, _why_?" he asked, his brows furrowed deeply as he stared at Riley.

"Um, because birds would eat the rice and explode?"

"_Really_?" Jo finally spoke up, sounding a bit curious herself.

"Yeah, they ingest it and the rice expands in their stomachs, causing them to explode." Riley glanced in the rearview mirror to catch Jackson's shocked expression. "Anti-acids does it too. They have reports of seagulls just combusting on the beach. Why people leave their Rolaids and Tums out on the freaking sand is beyond me."

Jackson leaned forward once again and smacked Jo in the arm before looking at Riley curiously. "Dude—I think she's secretly Wikipedia."

Jo huffed before forcefully shoving Jackson back into his seat. "Get out of my face, Jackson!"

Riley was growing very tired of the snappy attitude. There was no need for it. And Riley and Jackson were confined in this truck for the past several hours having to deal with said snappy attitude. She scowled at Jo. "What crawled up your ass and died?"

The attitude had come out of nowhere. And a lot of the hostility was directed at Riley, she knew that much. The question was why? What the hell happened between their phone call and now that caused this? Hell if she knew. Riley watched from the corner of her eye as Jo let out a scoff before looking out her window. "Nothing," she replied heatedly.

"Nothing my ass," Jackson muttered from the backseat with the shake of his head. "Is she PMSing right now? She is _so_ PMSing right now."

Yeah, Jackson didn't really help the matter. Riley pursed her lips tight before huffing out an aggravated breath. "Look," she started, glancing at both Jo and Jackson. "You wanted to work a case. You got one. Now drop the freaking 'I want to shit on the world and watch it die' act and focus on what we have to do because we're here."

Riley pulled up to the front of the wedding hall. For a place that is pretty isolated, it sure was beautiful. There was snow covering the beautiful grand lawn that had the bright white gazebo at the center, decorated with little yellow lights and artificial roses. The building itself, for as old as it probably was, it sure was beautiful, it had a similar structure as the White House, is what Riley would say if she had to describe it. The grand staircase leading to the front door and then the two white beams that were crested with designs on either side of the main entrance. The entire building gave off the vibes of both beautiful and expensive. It's no wonder why people would come all the way out here to hold their wedding reception.

The three hunters shared glance before they all climbed up the staircase and walked through the front door. Inside Bent hall was just as spectacular as it's exterior. The colors were a mixture of champagne and gold and _shiny_. Everything was reflective, causing all these colorful rainbow-like shapes to appear around the room. Tony sure had outdone himself this time. The chandelier that hung above their heads was made of pure crystal and it was huge; taking up a large portion of the lobby ceiling. Riley, Jo, and Jackson all spread out around the room to look around and observe. Jo heading towards the center table that had all the guest cards laid out with their table placement numbers, Jackson observing the artificial flowers and nearly knocking down one of the portraits he didn't see standing behind him, and Riley walking towards the direction of the grand staircase, her eyes roaming over every inch of the room.

Someone cleared their throat, causing the three of them to glance at one another only to realize that the sound didn't come from them. They slowly turned towards the top of the grand staircase where an older gentlemen with a very familiar face stood, leaning against the railing. "Hello," he said softly, his quiet voice echoing throughout the room.

Riley couldn't help but smile up at the man. "Hey, Tony," she said, waving her hand in the air before shoving both of them in her back jean pockets. Seeing Mr. Marino brought back some old memories of the days where she, her father, and Jackson and his father used to go hunting together. And it was this man right in front of her—the first person she and Jackson had kind of saved on their first official hunt ever. "It's good to see you again."

"You too, bella mia," Tony said, a smile growing on his lips. He defended down the large staircase with his hands held behind his back. He laid eyes on Jo and gave her a quick nod, but when he saw Jackson, his smile immediately dropped and he blew out a sigh. "Glad to see you're still alive, boy," he said dully.

Riley had to bite her lip in order to hold back her laughter. Tony wasn't exactly too fond of Jackson due to the mass damage of his window and just the trouble the kid had caused the last time they've seen each other. She watched Jackson attempt a smile but it looked more like a grimace than anything else. "Yeah, I'm still here. _Heh_," he said, giving a small shrug of his shoulder.

Tony's eyes roamed back to Riley. He indicated to Jo and Jackson. "I see you brought help for the poltergeist."

Jackson smirked and shook his head. "Nah, Tony. We don't know if it's another poltergeist. Might be something else."

"Something _else_?" Tony's eyes grew wide and fearful. "What else is there?" he asked, gulping.

Jo pursed her lips as her eyes met Tony's. "A lot."

Tony brought the three of them upstairs into his office to discuss the matter further. He pressed Riley, Jackson, and Jo about what other supernatural creatures roam around the earth. His reaction wasn't exactly surprising for any of them either. It wasn't usual for someone to act out when the truth about vampires, werewolves, demons, skin walkers, shape shifters, ghosts, and whatever else is out there is actually real—not a nightmare—not written about in books and seen in movies and TV—real life. Corporeal—well except for ghosts, anyway. Although they were a little surprised when Tony screamed out "Ba fungul!" and grabbed the first thing his hand could reach, which had been an ashtray for his cigars. He tossed it with such force it slammed against the wall behind the hunters and shattered into pieces. Jackson let out a loud yelp and jerked his body to the right so he didn't get hit. He, Jo, and Riley all stared at Tony in surprise then. Tony could only give a light shrug of his shoulders before leaning back in his leather seat. "Sorry," he apologized casually, raising a hand in the air. He looked at Riley. "So how exactly are we gonna do this? You three can't just stroll inside the Valentino reception tonight," he pointed out seriously. "These people gotta see that this place has _some_ sense of security, you know?"

Riley blinked several times before glancing at her cousin and best friend. Well, straight to business then. "Um, well," Riley fumbled her words slightly, still surprised by the outburst and sudden mood change. "I already got in touch with two more of my contacts who are gonna give us a hand with that…" she said, a smirk slowly crossing her lips.

Riley then proceeded to explain the plan she had come up with the night before—what their cover was going to be and all the other small details. Jo then proceeded to ask what Mr. Marino knew about the history of the building—when the building was built, were there any events that took place that seemed unusual, who the previous owners were, etcetera… etcetera… It seemed that each question Jo asked, Tony either was sure or he didn't know the answer at all. And Jackson did not hesitate to call him out on not doing a solid background check on the property before putting a down payment on it. The comment had definitely pissed Tony off and he didn't bother to hold himself back when it came down to threatening Jackson. It was an extremely scary and frightening experience for Jackson, but more of a humorous one for the Harvelle girls.

What they _did_ know was that things at Bent Hall started getting all out of whack once Tony began renovations both inside and out of the building. The more they discussed the case, the more positive Riley became that they were dealing with a spirit. Bent Hall was cold, but most wedding halls had their air conditioning on full blast. But Tony mentioned the signs of spirit activity on which he recalled from years ago when his house had been haunted: the cold spots, which he had felt an extreme temperature changes, especially when the several incidents happened. The flickering lights, which he had originally thought was due to the faulty wiring, considering just how old the building actually was. He had an electric technician come over to fix that problem, and both he and the tech were surprised when they couldn't find a damn thing wrong with it… So yeah, all directions point to a ghost. What wasn't adding up were the missing brides and the grooms suffocating from _nothing_. Riley thought that it could have something to do with why the ghost had stuck around in the first place. She wasn't sure, but that was also another reason why she had called for backup. The Winchesters.

Besides, Riley and Jo needed dates for the wedding, as they were going to be attending the Valentino wedding reception just downstairs in the grand hall as distant cousins of the newly weds. And Jackson was going to be Tony's newest waiter.

This should be interesting.

* * *

"I should've gone with the purple dress."

Riley stared into the bathroom mirror. She had her lips pursed tight as she critiqued every bit of fabric of her blood red party dress. She didn't think red suited her well—like at all. And she and Jo argued over the beautiful blue alter dress, in which Jo had won that battle using the 'I'm older' card on her. Jackson had tried to be nice, giving her a smile and an approving nod. He said she would look beautiful even if she walked in with a clown suit on, but he highly suggested not to do it before changing his mind and making it a dare. Riley rolled her eyes at him obviously, Jackson could only be serious for so long.

Just outside the bathroom, the Winchester brothers who had arrived earlier were finishing up fixing their suits and preparing for the reception. Jo had gotten ready before Riley, pushing herself through the bathroom door and slamming it in her cousin's face. Now, she stood outside the bathroom, staring at the wall across the room with a scowl planted on her face. Jackson noticed it from his own spot against the wall, he leaned closer to Dean, who had been adjusting his tie in the mirror. "Dude—I hope you got chocolate in those suit pockets of yours. It's her time of the month and she's equivalent to Cruella de Vil. You know, evil-like and stuff."

Dean paused and furrowed his brows as he looked at Jackson. "What?" he asked slowly. "The crazy bitch with the skunk hair and stole like a hundred puppies?"

Sam snorted. "It's sad that you even know that."

Dean spun around and pointed an angry finger in his direction. "Hey! You were the one that made me read you the book a thousand damn times when you were a kid! It's kinda hard to forget."

Jo cleared her throat, causing the three men to glance in her direction. She had her arms tensely crossed over her chest and she raised an arched brow at them. Sam awkwardly looked away from her pointed stare and went back to shining his shoes. Jackson just smirked before going to the couch to pick up his waiter uniform. He wasn't particularly happy when he discovered he couldn't wear his newly purchased suit and he wasn't afraid to voice that opinion either. The rest of them had given Jackson a look as if to say 'shut up and get over it' and that was that.

Dean though, didn't look away. Instead, he glanced over her figure and observed the royal blue alter dress that clung to Jo's body. He sent the blonde his signature cheshire grin and nodded his head in approval. "You look… nice."

Jo pursed her lips as her eyes burned holes into Dean's head. She huffed out a sigh before glancing away. "Thanks," she said, sounding a bit out of it. Jo then focused all her attention on the bathroom door where Riley was still inside. It was like she was trying to get her eyes to shoot laser beams out of them and obliterate the door entirely. Growing annoyed, she marched her silver heels to the door and raised a fist, preparing to pound it on the door. The door suddenly swung open as Jo went to bang on the door. Riley's eyes grew wide and with lightening speed, she raised her own hand to catch her cousin's fist.

"Whoa—"

Jo snatched her hand back from Riley's grip, not meeting her eyes. She muttered an apology before leaning inside the bathroom to grab her clutch she had left on the sink. With that, she made her way towards the door and slammed it shut. Riley was still standing by the bathroom door, her mouth parted slightly at what just happened. She blew out a sigh. This was going to be an extremely long evening. "Well then," she murmured quietly. Riley looked away from the door to the three guys standing in the motel room that Tony had so kindly rented out for them. She tried to give them a smile, but she was sure they all saw right through it.

Jackson grinned and waved his uniform in the air. "My turn."

Riley had stepped out of the bathroom fully, letting Jackson pass through to get changed into his waiter's uniform. She glanced down at her dress with a frown on her face and ran her hand down the red fabric in attempt to smoothen the material. When she looked up, she saw Dean sending her a quick smile before quickly saying he was going to catch up with his date before sending his brother a quick glance and exiting the room, leaving Riley and Sam to themselves. Riley turned to Sam and shot him a small smile, but it faded when she noticed the odd expression on his face.

"You okay over there, gigantor?"

As if in a daze, Sam blinked rapidly before nodding his head. "Hm? Yeah! I'm fine. I'm good," he said, fumbling his words. He turned his eyes away from Riley and stared down at his freshly polished shoes with furrowed brows. When he looked up at her, he sent her a quick smile. "You look really nice, by the way."

Riley grinned at the compliment. "Well, you look rather dashing yourself, Mr. Winchester."

Sam snorted. "Thanks."

The two of them stood in the room in an awkward silence. Riley rocked back on her heels as she gazed around, an attempt to find something that would catch her attention so she doesn't feel so damn _awkward_. She never felt uncomfortable or well—like _this_ around Sam. And the younger Winchester wasn't exactly helping with his silence. She spared a glance at Sam and noticed him fidgeting with his tie. She smirked slightly before walking towards him. "Here, let me help."

She took a seat next to him on the edge of the bed and grabbed his tie, untangling it and re-knotting it properly. Riley noticed Sam's Adam's apple go up and down several times, causing her to glance up at him. "Relax, Sam. I'm not gonna choke you. I've done this a thousand times," she said with a smirk.

Sam's green eyes slowly peered into her chocolate brown ones. "How exactly do you know how to do this?" he asked curiously.

"I learned from Aunt Ellen when I was pretty young. Both Uncle Bill and my dad never knew how to tie their ties and well, you can't exactly go around pretending to be a fed looking like a five year old was the one who tied the thing around your neck," she said with a small chuckle. "I think it was a genetic thing—Harvelle men can't tie their ties, heh." She nodded her head towards the bathroom as she looped his tie over, making the knot. "And then for Jackson. The kid couldn't even tie his shoes until he was eleven. And I can bet you my life that he is gonna waltz outta there with that bowtie of his undone."

True to her words, Jackson did walk out of the bathroom with his black bowtie tangled around his neck and his fingers knotted around the fabric. He looked at Riley sheepishly. "I don't think I did this right, Riley."

Riley didn't even bother to hold back her smile. She turned to face Sam with her brows raised high and smoothened out the wrinkles on his navy blue striped tie with her hand. She smirked at Sam Winchester knowingly.

"What did I tell you?"

Once the three of them grabbed what they needed, the headed out and towards Bent Hall where they would meet Dean and Jo, then talk to Tony about the final arrangement for their plan. When they got there, Riley noticed Dean and Jo talking quietly in the main lobby, a smile on her cousin's lips as she looked up at the elder Winchester. But unfortunately, when her gaze rested on Riley, the smile immediately dropped and her expression morphed into a scowl once again. Riley huffed and held herself back from rolling her eyes at Jo. Along with having to find out what exactly they were hunting, Riley was going to have to figure out what exactly Jo's problem was with her. She didn't want to fight. She didn't like to fight. And especially with her cousin.

Sam leaned down next to Riley. "Are you and Jo fighting or something?" he asked, frowning slightly.

Riley felt tense and aggravated, not with Sam, but just in general. She shook her head. "I don't know. I've been trying to figure out the answer to that question myself." She watched Sam furrow his brows in confusion and open his mouth to say something, but he was cut off when Dean and Jo approached them.

"'Bout time," Dean said, glancing at all three of them with a lazy smirk crossing his lips. "Let's get this party started."

Beside Sam, Jackson stood with his hand barely inches away from his face, watching his fingers move closely, wincing as he did so. He looked at the four of them. "I think I need an icepack."

This time, Riley did roll her eyes and began to walk in front of them. "Come on," she said as she approached the grand staircase. "Tony's office is this way. He told me for us to meet him there."

The five of them climbed up the staircase and headed in the direction of Tony's office. Once they were standing in front of his door, Riley raised a fist and knocked. "Tony? Ghostbusters are here," she called out. Both Dean and Jo looked unimpressed, Jackson cackled and Sam's lips turned upward ever so slightly.

Tony swung open his office door, his eyes wide and sleep deprived. "Oh bella, good. You're here." Riley felt her cheeks redden when she noticed six or seven waiters and waitresses all stuffed inside Tony's small office. One of the waiters quirked a brow at Riley before leaning next to his fellow employee. "Did she just tell Tony that Ghostbusters are here?" he whispered, not quietly enough apparently, because everyone heard him. All eyes went directly towards the waiter who spoke.

"Shut up, Benny, before a pop a cap in ya, then fire you," Tony said, a scowl planted on his tired face.

"Sorry, Mr. Marino."

Tony ushered Riley, Sam, Jo, Dean, and Jackson inside. Riley felt like she was being placed in a can of sardines. Tony's office wasn't the best location to hold a meeting with this many people, that was for sure. She was confined between Jackson and Sam as Tony made their introductions that would follow their cover story as to why there were five random people who did not belong at the wedding party.

"Okay everybody," Tony started, raising both hands in the air to quiet everyone down. "These people here are private investigators I hired to work here tonight. As you are aware, there's been some unfortunate events that had taken place here during the last few parties we held here at the Bent Hall. I don't want this to happen again, and that is why they are here to help. So give them whatever they need, got it?"

The waiter, Benny, simply rolled his eyes before throwing his hand in the air lazily. "You hired _five_ private investigators?"

Dean pursed his lips before shaking his head at Benny. He was probably no older than twenty-three and he was a total dick. Dean sent him a smirk full of superiority before he reached into his jacket for his fake badge. "No sir. Two feds, he indicated to himself and Sam. "Two private investigators who work in this type of department," he said pointing to Riley and Jo. "And our forensics tech." Dean shot a thumb in Jackson's direction. "You got a problem with that?"

Benny's eyes grew wide hearing Dean's words. "O—oh. H—yeah. _No_! It's all good here. No problems."

"We _got_ a serious problem here," Riley stated seriously, her eyes narrowing at Benny before looking at everyone else. "There are three brides missing—having disappeared out of thin air and three grooms are _dead_. If any of you have any information you'd like to share, please come speak to me or my partners."

The entire wait staff nodded their heads before they all exited the room hurriedly, especially Benny. Riley guessed he didn't want to make any more of an ass of himself. Idiot. Riley can't say she hates a lot of things, but if there was one thing she hates, its people who are arrogant assholes. And Benny was just added to that list.

Just as the five of them were going to follow the rest of the staff into the main hall where the wedding reception would soon begin, they were stopped short when a very clumsy blonde girl, probably around Jackson's age, had stumbled inside. Riley watched Tony blow out a sigh and shake his head.

"Abigail," he greeted. "Glad you could make it."

The girl was a complete mess. Her bleach blonde hair tussled up into a sloppy bun and her blue eyes wide and panic-filled. "Mr. Marino—I am _so_ sorry! I was fighting with Nathan over the car and he hid my keys and—"

"Abby, it's fine. You missed introductions is all," Tony said, dismissing her tardiness. From the looks of it, Tony was pretty used to this waitress coming into work later than usual. He waved a hand in the hunters direction. "They are investigating what's been happening here. Trying to get to the bottom of this gigantic mess. Get them whatever they need, okay?" he ordered before sending the six of them a smile and exiting his office.

Abby slowly turned to face the five 'investigators' that were going to solve the mystery behind this sick game of bride and seek. "Uh, hi," she said awkwardly, waving a hand in the air; which had been a mistake because her handbag had fell to the ground along with all the contents inside. "Oh—oh _crap_!"

Riley watched as Jackson readily bent down on his knees to pick up Abigail's belongings. "Here, let me help you," he said kindly. But Riley could tell that this girl was a stubborn one. Abby shook her head, not wanting any help.

"No—I got it," she said, scrambling around on her hands and knees to pick up her belongings. But unfortunately for Abigail, Jackson was probably just as stubborn as she was. He went to grab her cellphone at the same exact time as Abigail had. Riley smirked when the two teens both froze with their eyes wide, staring down at their hands touching and then looking up at one another. _Oh these two are going to be adorable_, Riley thought. Jackson swallowed heavily before slowly pulling away with the phone in his hand, he held it out for Abby to take, but she only sat there on her knees with her mouth agape. Jackson grinned slowly. "Uh, here's your phone," he said as he picked up her hands off the floor and placed her silver flip phone into her small, delicate hands.

"Thanks," she said softly, her blue eyes never leaving Jackson's face.

Dean had to ruin the cute scene by clapping his hands loudly. "Yo!" he hollered. "We can't exactly be late to the wedding. Chop, chop! Let's go! I want to check out the buffet." A mischievous grin had appeared on his lips, most likely thinking about all the different dishes that would be served.

"Dean—" Sam said, sending his brother his patented bitch face. "We're _working_ remember, _not_ celebrating."

"Don't be such a party-pooper, Sammy," Dean warned before clinging his arm around Jo, who raised her brows at him. The couple left the office, heading in the direction of the party that was just beginning.

Jackson had gotten back on his feet and held his hand out for Abby to grab to help herself up and off the carpet. She had taken it gratefully and sent him a shy smile. "Thanks."

Jackson grinned. "No problem." He glanced at Riley and Sam before looking back to Abby. "So, uh, you're a waitress, right?" Abby nodded her head. "Great. So you can show me the ropes. Being a waiter is my cover, and I've never waited anything before so…"

"Of course I'll help!" Abby said, sounding quite eager to be spending more time with Jackson.

Riley smiled as Abby grabbed Jackson's hand and dragged him out of the room and towards the dining hall. She looked up at Sam and held out her arm. "You ready, partner?"

Sam smiled softly and nodded his head. "Of course." He took her arm and linked it with his own and they walked in the direction of the grand hall where the Valentino wedding reception was taking place.

* * *

Loud music and drunken idiots.

This was the roadhouse every night.

Riley realized that she wasn't missing much.

There was around 110 people in the grand hall, which was the biggest party room throughout the whole building according to Tony's map. Riley's eyes scanned around the room carefully, observing everyone and everything. The bride and groom, whose names Riley learned to be Henry and Julia Valentino looked like they were having a rather tense conversation by the wedding cake in the far corner. She narrowed her eyes at them and took a few steps closer in attempts to hear what they were saying. But it was useless because the music was just too loud. Riley huffed and shook her head in annoyance. She was uncomfortable in this stupid dress and in these stupid shoes and the stupid bobby pins in her hair kept pinching her skull. Nothing was happening, the party was nearly over and the most interesting thing that occurred was when Jackson nearly dropped his plates of food he was serving at table 9. Abby, who had been holding her own dish and hurrying towards table 7 didn't notice him walking in her direction and the two of them collided into one another. It was a damn miracle that neither one had dropped their dishes. A damn miracle.

Jo's scowl didn't fade the entire night. Riley watched Dean's poor attempts to pull Jo in the directions of either the buffet or the dance floor, but it was useless. Jo stood still as stone in her seat at one of the empty tables Tony had made sure to clear just for them. Dean apparently had enough of it because he grabbed Jo's hand and pulled her out of her seat and placed a hand on her back, pushing her towards the lobby doors. Riley furrowed her brows at the scene. She quickly told Sam she'd be right back and followed the couple into the lobby, remaining unseen.

"Okay—what's your deal?" Dean snapped.

Riley had hidden in the narrow hallway that led to the kitchen. She had a perfect few from her spot and she watched Dean glower down at her cousin. Jo just scoffed and shook her head. "Why do you care?" she snapped right back before spinning on her heels and stomped back towards the grand hall. Riley felt her eyes widen, if Jo came any closer, she would be seen. She pressed her back up against the wall and waited for herself to be caught, but it didn't happen.

Dean had caught her arm and pulled her back to him. "Hey—what's going on?" he asked in a softer tone. Riley peeked back out and saw Dean peering down at Jo with concerned eyes. He had kept his hand in hers and if Riley wasn't too focused on finding out what was causing her cousin to act out, she would probably gush over how cute and pansy they were being.

"My life isn't fair, that's what's going on! That's my deal!" she shouted loudly, causing Riley to jump. Dean just stared down at her with his brows furrowed deeply, clearly just as confused as Riley was.

"What are you—"

"Tell me, _Dean_," Jo started. "My mother throws me out of the house because I want to follow in my dad's footsteps. I wanna hunt. Fine. You don't want me to hunt, fine. Throw me outta the house, fine. But tell me, how the hell is it fair that my _perfect_ cousin is allowed to hunt and she can live at home! She can do whatever the hell she wants without question!" she shrieked. "It's not fair!"

Dean could only stand there with his mouth agape. What the hell could he even say to that? Where would he even begin to answer that?

Riley's stomach dropped when she heard her cousin's words. Was that really how Jo felt towards her? Guilt ate up at Riley and it did even more when Jo continued on her rant.

"I mean—it's like my mother loves her more than me or something. Like she's the favorite. The _perfect_ one! She does _everything_ right! Even when we were kids, my mom told me to listen to Riley! Riley should be listening to _me_! I'm the older one! She's the baby of the family! I just want to go _home_!" Jo cried, her voice breaking at the end.

Riley felt her own tears gathering in her eyes as she let out a shaky breath. _Crap_. Looks like Jo and Riley weren't so different after all, they hold everything in, bottle it all up and when it becomes too much they explode. And Dean had been the one to witness it happen. Riley would be lying if she said that she wasn't slightly jealous that she confided in Dean about her problems. But then again, how the hell do you confide in someone about their problems when you're the cause of their problems in the first place?

Dean had pulled Jo closer to him in a hug and rested his chin on her forehead. Riley couldn't really hear exactly what he was whispering because the music suddenly grew louder from the grand hall. The lights began to flicker and suddenly Riley could see her breath; a cold spot: a clear sign of spirit activity. "Crap," she muttered as she wiped at her eyes before rushing back into the hall.

When she ran inside, she immediately noticed the groom collapsed on the ground with Sam by his side, trying to stop the man from suffocating from whatever the hell he was suffocating of. But it had been no use, Henry had completely stilled, his eyes blankly staring up at the chandelier that hung on the ceiling. Riley had then looked for Jackson, when she caught sight of him she saw his eyes grow wide and he dropped his dishes to rush onto the dance floor. Abigail and been standing at the center with her hands covering her mouth in both shock and fear.

"Abby, look out!" Jackson cried out as he ran towards her. He pushed her out of the way just in time before the beautiful crystal chandelier came crashing down, shattering on the dance floor.

Everything had gone silent. Sam looked up at Riley from his position next to the groom, his mouth was slightly agape as his confused and uncertain eyes met hers. She looked to her right where Jackson and Abby sat on the floor, he had his arms wrapped around her securely as he whispered soothing words into her ear.

Riley never hated herself more than she did that night. Not only did her cousin freaking despise her, but because of her sheer stupidity of focusing on her own problems, Riley had let an innocent man die… and her eyes grew wide in realization.

The bride, Julia, was nowhere in sight.

This was all her fault.

_**TO BE CONTINUED...**_

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**RCH Playlist: (Link on my profile) **

**Scene: Riley and Co car ride: _Black Soap _by Ex Cops**

**Scene: Sam sees Riley in her dress: _Cinema_ by Jason Evigan**

**Scene: Riley overhears Jo and Dean: _Knife _by Grizzly Bear**

**Scene: Jackson saves Abigail from the chandelier: _Ghost _by Sir Sly**

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**A/N: **This Author's Note will be short and sweet, but firstly, I wanted to thank all of you who followed, favorited, and reviewed my story thus far! My god! Almost 60 followers?! You're awesome! Seriously awesome! I love you and thank you so much for all your support! It's you guys who keep me motivated to write with your kind words both on ffnet and on tumblr so thank you! :) Anyway, hope you enjoy the chapter and part two should be up after my finals! Don't forget to drop a review on your way out! :)

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**Review Responses:**

**NicoleR85:** Oh yes, Riley loves her jokes. And when she and Jackson are together, you honestly can't expect anything less, haha! I mean, did you see those two in action at Bobby's? Thanks so much for the review and I hope you enjoyed this chapter!

**January Lily:** Yes! Finally, it was about damn time. Writer's block can be a real bitch. And I unfortunately suffered from it while writing this chapter too, so I hope it was an enjoyable read for you! Hahahaha! I feel you and I'm glad you love Riley! And she definitely was back to her normal self this chapter. Thank god! I hate writing her when she's down in the dumps. It's so much more fun writing her cracking jokes with Jackson and driving Bobby up the wall. OH MY GOD WE SHOULD SO DO IT! Definitely would be an interesting read, hahaha. I'm telling you, I see Jackson's failing attempts to flirt with Elle and it is perfection. You saying that makes me so happy. A lot of the time, I can get really lost and confused when there are more than one OC tossed into the mix, even with just one OC, working to make sure they fit in smoothly can be hard. So the fact that Riley and Jackson can be read as believable and realistic characters makes me very, very happy. Thank you so much for the review! Love you lots!

**Emilia Christine:** Oh please! Don't even worry! I am so glad you liked this chapter! Once I got things flowing, it was a real fun chapter to write. Especially Jackson scenes. He and Riley are quite the pair and I love writing them together, because it's a 24/7 comedy with those two. HAHA the head bop! The sass he's got on him, man… It was funny because barely a minute before hand, Riley was yelling at him that Sam was possessed, and then Jackson snaps at Bobby as if he should already know the situation. Typical Jackson. But we all love him. I'm so happy you liked the Dean and Riley scene. I think we all needed that closure between those two, because Riley's done nothing but help him and his brother and he was constantly giving her and her family crap. Oh I'm just as excited as you are! Prepare yourself for the Ruby/Riley/Jackson interactions. I really can't wait to write them. And Dean and Riley will definitely bond over their dislike for Ruby. Funny conversations and scenes await! :) Thank you so much for the review girly! Hope you liked the newest chapter!

**Lissa:** First off—thank you so much for your lovely review! Reading it had honestly made my day! Ahaha, I'm glad Riley has the "shit" of a Harvelle girl. When I was trying to figure out her character and the story, I knew she needed to have that "spunk" and "badass" to her that the Harvelle women have on the show. I loved the Harvelle girls on Supernatural and I honestly wish they got more screen time. Jo was such an awesome character and I loved her so much! Really? I thought they killed her and Ellen off the show because Kripke was planning to end the series once season five was over. They were just trying to tie some loose ends, I guess. But clearly, the show went on for another five seasons after. And besides, how the hell can anyone not like Jo?! Ridiculous! I know we don't see too much of her in this story, but in the sequel, there will be a lot more Jo and Harvelle madness, since a lot of the chapters will be my original ones. (We don't even see the Harvelle's again until season five of SPN, so don't you worry!) Oh Jackson. Jackson is probably one of my favorite original characters I've written and I hope you like him as much as I do! His relationship with Riley is my absolute favorite! :) The sibling feelsss. And thank you! As you can obviously tell, I'm still in the process of working the songs from my playlist into the chapters as I go back to re-edit them. But I'm glad you like it! It's different from the show, but it fits with Riley's story, you know? Oh boy, I ship Sam and Riley to the freaking moon! And not much has happened yet! Later seasons we will get some action, hehe. I honestly haven't even thought of a ship name for them yet. I'll probably make a poll and have you guys vote on a name! I do like your suggestions though! ;) THANK YOU SO MUCH! I never really viewed myself as a talented writer. Like at all. So, when I started writing, I was seriously self-conscious about it all, even now, I'm still constantly going back and changing stuff. Punctuation is my weakness. But I'd like to think I've improved since I first started this story. So thank you for saying that! Inspiration? Hm, when I watched the show and when we were introduced to the roadhouse and the Harvelles. I felt like they can explore so much more about them and the roadhouse, with their hunter connections and such, if that makes sense. And I always felt like there was someone missing, hence Riley and her story was born. Don't you worry! We will get to see more of Jo! And Jo and Riley kicking some monster ass! :) Thank you so much for taking the time to read and review my story! Hope you enjoyed this chapter!:)

**Lissa: **Ahaha. Jackson is by far one of my favorite characters to write. He's a combination of silly and stupid and lovable, overall he's a big goofball that everyone can't seem to get enough of. He's definitely my baby. I think we all need a Jackson in our lives, haha. And thank you! I wanted to write something, I guess like another view of what is going on in the Supernatural universe outside the focus of Sam and Dean. Obviously they are still in the story, but it's more of Riley and Co's misadventures, and I say misadventures because half the crap they get into is by accident, haha. Oh my god! The Hollywood hunt is actually a good idea! I shall look into it, maybe fit in a hunt around season three or four! :) I don't have Mystery Spot in the episode list for now, but it can obviously change, but Ghostfacers, most definitely. It's going to be a funny chapter to write! ;) Oh my goodness! YES! That would be totally awesome if your friend can do that! I'm not sure if Jo is going feature in it, but you can count on Riley and Jackson being there. It is going to be a really angsty season for Jo. A new character is going to come into play next season a be a big part of her story line. (Since we don't see her until season five on the show, I gave her more of a story of what actually happened between the season, so dw. We will see much more of her.) And yeah, Dean and Jo were definitely doomed from the start. As for the hunting situation with Jo and Riley, trust me, Riley changes her mind. Thank you for your review! :)

**switchbladeheart: **Ah! First off—thank you so much for taking the time to even read my story! When I read your review, it honestly made my day. I'm super happy that you like Riley as a character and that she fits the role of a badass hunter, but yeah, she definitely has a vulnerable side that not too many people see. The relationship dynamic between Riley and Jo are really strange, because you're totally right, Jo definitely sees her cousin as a mentor when it comes to hunting since Riley's dad taught her hunting before he died and Jo wasn't involved other than working at the roadhouse with hunters. And now she started hunting, doing exactly what her mother told her not to. So a lot of tension builds up between the Harvelles. But when she does get deeper in the life, like in season three, Riley is gonna be the one to help her through it. And thank you! I always thought about it too, you never see anything outside of the US so I thought I'd take a spin on it. Hopefully sometime in the future we will see a supernatural-international hunt take place. ;) OMG RIGHT? Jackson and Riley together are the absolute best and there is never a dull moment when those two are in the same room. And I promise you there will be a ton more of Jackson sass. Sam and Riley… you're not alone, I can't wait for them to get together either! :D Sam is definitely the more hesitant type, considering his history with women, and Riley is the more blunt, tell you straight up kind of girl. Oh season three is going to be a blast. I really can't wait to write Ghostfacers either! It's gonna be hilarious! Thank you, thank you, thank you so much for the review! xx —PS I read your PM and expect and answer from me ASAP! :)


	12. Bride and Seek Part II

**Riley Carter Harvelle**

**_Chapter Eleven:_ Bride and Seek Part II **

Jackson Hallowell stood in the empty room next to Tony's office, his back stiffly leaning up against the wall and his eyes zigzagged back and forth, watching the blonde waitress whom he saved barely forty minutes ago pace across the room, impatiently biting at her thumb. He was waiting for it. The explosion. The moment where she would freak the hell out and start spouting out questions he himself wasn't exactly sure how to explain. Unlike Tony, Abigail and the rest of the wait staff were not aware of a psychotic ghost killing people. But what differed Abby from the rest of the staff was that she had nearly been killed by one of Tony's fancy chandeliers in the grand hall. If he hadn't pushed her out of the way… Abby would have been dead.

That alone had brought on more questions about the case they were working. Was the ghost targeting Abby? Was the chandelier falling a distraction? A way for the ghost to take the bride during all of the commotion? Maybe the ghost suspected that people were on her trail? They weren't exactly subtle about it. And it probably wasn't the best idea to converse about said ghost and how to put an end to it. Oops. Jackson felt his lips purse tighter at all the unanswered questions. The groom was dead; the ghost bitch had succeeded in that.

The look of despair and guilt on Riley's face didn't go unnoticed by him either. Jackson knew that most people took him for a fool—and yeah, majority of the time, he was. He knew he wasn't the smartest guy out there, but he used what little knowledge he had and did the best he could. He was out there, traveling across the country with his best friend, fighting monsters and saving lives. He was a hunter, and one of the many things he learned during his time of hunting was reading people. Jackson wasn't going to lie though; his readings weren't always accurate.

But when it came to reading his best friend? Yeah, he always hit the mark when it came down to Riley.

Jackson knew something happened at the wedding reception. What that was, he had no idea, but he was going to make sure he found out. He almost scoffed at the thought. _Add that to the pile of crap that needs answers. _There were a lot of stuff that needed answers and—

Whatever thoughts were racing through Jackson's mind was cut short when Abby abruptly stopped pacing and turned to face him. Her blue eyes were staring deeply into his and Jackson had to hold back from gulping. Abigail Myers stare was _intense_. He watched her mouth open and close several times before she began to pace back and forth again. Jackson felt his shoulders sag and his banged his head back against the wall, which accidentally caused the painting above his head to fall, having the flimsy string that kept the art work there break.

"Oh shit!" Jackson blurted out as he jerked forward. He spun around with wide eyes to face the painting that now lay flat on the floor. With a grimace he slowly bent down to pick up the painting and lean it back against the wall. He wasn't going to bother with attempting to hang it back up, because knowing his luck, something more embarrassing and ridiculous would happen. Still crouched down, Jackson observed the painting, it looked old as hell, for one, and it was covered in a thick layer of dust. "Jesus," he muttered to himself. "The hell is this even doing here?"

"_That's_ your concern?" Abby asked from behind. Her voice had most definitely startled Jackson, because he stumbled forward and crashed into the wall face first.

"Jesus!" He clumsily pushed himself back up and turned to Abby. Raising his index finger in the air warningly, he said, "You saw _nothing_."

"I—I don't even know _what_ I saw," Abby barely said above a whisper. Her eyes were now glazed over and she stared at Jackson pleadingly. "How—how are you so _calm_ right now? That guy _died_! _I_ almost died! A chandelier almost fell on me, Jackson!" she cried out frantically, waving her hands in the air.

"Because I've seen this stuff before, Abigail. Too many damn times, honestly."

Abby looked absolutely baffled. "You're like my age! You're a _kid_! How the hell are you working for the cops?"

"Hey!" Jackson cried, looking insulted. "I am _not_ a kid! I'm a badass," he stated, a smirk etching his lips. Jackson watched as Abby's chest rose and fell at a very fast pace. _This girl is gonna give herself a heart attack breathing like that_. He rolled his eyes. "Look—"

"No buddy, _you _look—people are dead. Not just one. What is this? The fourth couple now? Wife disappears and the husband dies? What kind of sick joke is this? What kind of game are you playing here?"

Jackson felt his brows furrow._ What the hell was she talking about? What game?_ "Wait, what?"

"What is happening?!" Abby shrieked. "I want to know what is happening!"

Jackson's eyes grew wide. _Jesus, this woman is a loose canon_. "Okay!" he said loudly and raising his hands in the air, attempting to calm her down. "It's a ghost! Relax before you give yourself a panic attack."

It was the wrong thing to say, apparently, because Abby looked even angrier than ten seconds ago. "Relax? _Relax_?! Are you seriously telling _me_ to relax right now? You just told me that a _ghost_ is haunting—no—_killing_ people at Bent Hall. Four people are dead, Jackson! _Dead_! You know, as in _not_ alive anymore! God—the places I work at…"

"Abigail—"

"A freaking chandelier almost fell on me, Jackson! I almost died!"

"But you didn't," Jackson cut in, looking at Abigail seriously. He made a hand gesture in her direction. "Obviously, because you're currently here, screaming at me about it."

He watched as Abby visibly began to calm down. She blew out a sigh and looked at Jackson. "Yeah…" she said, trailing off. "And I suppose I have you to thank for that, huh?"

Jackson merely smirked and adjusted his bowtie. "I'm just your typical knight in a waiter's uniform."

Abigail chuckled lightly and shook her head, which had given Jackson a strange feeling of satisfaction. He liked seeing this girl smile. And he found himself liking it even more when he knew he was the reason for this girl smiling. Unfortunately, their conversation was cut short when Dean popped his head in the room, cautiously glancing between Jackson and Abby. "You two good?" he asked, quirking his brow.

Abby answered before Jackson could. "We're fine," she said softly with a shrug of her shoulders before she added, "As fine as one could be after all of that just happened, anyway."

Dean pursed his lips and nodded. "Well, when you're ready, Tony wants all of us in his office. We need a game plan. This ghost-y bitch is gonna get her ass salted and burned. _Tonight_." Jackson couldn't help but raise his brows at the finality that was in Dean's voice. When he glanced at Abby then back at the door, he realized that Dean had already made his exit.

"So you guys are like Ghostbusters, huh?" Abby asked quietly. "You don't really work for the cops?"

Jackson shook his head. "No we don't work for the cops. Ghosts are one of many _things_ that the people in our line of work take care of."

Abby looked almost fearful to ask her next question. "Um... what kind of things?"

Jackson had walked to the door before slowly turning around to face the blonde. He had a grim expression on his face as his blue eyes met hers. This girl standing in front of him was about to open a door that she would never get to close. She was in it now, she experienced it at first hand what was out there. Jackson was just grateful that it was this. Compared to how others were introduced into the world of hunting… when things took a more personal level, like his father who got involved because of the possession of his wife and Jackson's mother. He swallowed deeply before answering her question. "Monsters."

He didn't look back to see Abby's terrified expression as he exited the room, nor did he hear footsteps following after him. Jackson let out an aggravated sigh as he pushed Tony's office door open and walked inside. He stopped in his tracks when he noticed everyone stood stiffly and in an uncomfortable silence. Tony was at his desk, a sour expression covering his features; which was understandable given the situation. Jo stared right at Jackson with a stony expression that made a shiver run through his spine. _What the hell was her problem? _The Winchesters were on the far left side of the small office; Dean was eating—_is that wedding cake?_ God, he sure looked like he was enjoying it too. Sam noticed Jackson staring at his brother, he merely rolled his eyes at Dean and lightly smacked his shoulder, and gave the patented Winchester bitch face. Then there was Riley, who was standing opposite of Sam and Dean, she looked… _lost_, perhaps? Her brows furrowed deeply as she stared down at her feet. It looked like she had a million things on her mind.

Tony raised a brow at Jackson. "Where's your other half, son?"

Jackson scrunched up his face in confusion. "Who?"

"Abigail," Tony said, rolling his eyes. "Where's my waitress?"

Just as Jackson opened his mouth to respond, Abby slowly crept into the office. Her arms hugged her waist and her head hung low. "I'm here," she said quietly.

Tony leaned back in his leather chair and glanced at everyone. "Great, now that the gang's all here…" he trailed off, sounding calm and collective. "What the hell was _that_?!" he shouted, making several people jump. "The man is dead! Julia's gone! What _happened_?"

"Well, the bat-shit crazy ghost that has decided to take residence here, Tony, has killed the groom and took Julia, just like the other three previous incidents," Jackson stated. "Obviously."

Tony glared daggers in Jackson's direction, his harsh grey eyes burning into his cobalt blue hues. "I know that, _boy_. But I want to know why?"

Jo scoffed and rolled her eyes. "Why?" she questioned cynically. "It's because we went into this with a half-assed plan!" Even though Jo's response was for Tony, all the hostility in her tone was directed towards Riley, it didn't help that Jo was staring right in her direction as the words came out of her mouth.

Jackson watched Riley swallow heavily before turning to Tony. "We know what it is Tony, but—"

"If you know what it is," Tony began, "then why don't you get it out of my wedding hall!"

Jackson huffed and shook his head. "Tony, it's like I said earlier—" He noticed the older man's eyes widen in anger and annoyance, but before Tony could open his mouth to retort, Jackson held a hand up, silencing him. "But we don't have enough information on the place. There's no history, or a background check… I mean, that's where we would be able to find this bitch's MO. Kinda key information we need here, man."

When Jackson didn't get a response from anyone in the room, his eyes glanced around and noticed everyone, not including Riley, wearing a similar expression on their faces. It was one of shock and surprise. Riley stared at him, proud and with a small smirk on her lips.

"What?" Jackson asked no one in particular. "Something I said?"

Placing his plate down that held nothing but crumbs of what was left of the wedding cake, Dean looked at Jackson before turning his full attention to Tony. "The kid's right. We got jack about this place. Is it—I don't know, protocol or something to do a background check on the property before you buy it?" He looked at Sam, seeming curious. "That's what normal people do, no?"

Sam let a small snort escape, but he nodded his head nonetheless. "Yeah, generally."

"Well, it's not exactly historical facts about the place, but it might hold some relevance to this situation," Abby said, sounding unsure. "I don't know if it will actually help or anything, but—"

"Abby," Dean sighed, running a hand across his face tiredly. "Just spit it out."

The young blonde blinked, slightly surprised. She nodded her head before looking at everyone. "It's uh—it's a ghost story that was told when I was a kid. It um—it was called Bride and Seek, I think…" she trailed off, her eyes now staring down at her black shoes. "Story goes—"

"Wait!" Jackson suddenly cried out, causing Abby to scream, startled. Everyone stared at the two with wide, disturbed eyes. Jackson looked around the room, focusing on the door especially. "Is it safe to even speak here?" he asked. "What if crazy bitch comes back?"

Jo pushed herself off the desk and headed towards the door. "I'll go get the rock salt from the truck."

Riley immediately jumped forward, forcing a smile on her face. "Great. I'll come with."

"No."

Riley pursed her lips tight. "Why?"

"Because I can do it myself, Riley," Jo snapped before swinging the door open and slamming it shut, the harsh sound echoing off the walls of the small room.

Everyone stayed silent. Riley clenched her and unclenched her fist before letting out an aggravated sigh. Jackson looked pointedly at Riley. "Okay… what the hell was _that_?"

Riley could only shake her head. "Not now, Jackson," she muttered quietly. She turned to Abby. "Just continue what you were saying. That ghost hasn't made any surprise appearances unless it was during a wedding ceremony or reception downstairs. The salt's just an extra precaution."

"Are—are you sure?" Abby questioned, sounding hesitant.

Riley attempted a smile. "Yeah," she said with a slight nod. "Go for it."

"The frame of the door is iron," Tony stated, looking at Riley. "They can't touch iron, right? I remember back when the poltergeist—"

"Whoa, really?" Jackson asked, surprised. "Why didn't you say that before the wicked witch of the west left the room?"

"I heard that, jackass," Jo growled as she re-entered the room.

"Should—should I tell the story or…" Abby started.

"Yes! For the love of—start the story, _please_," Dean practically begged, growing rather impatient.

Abigail nodded her head, she took a deep breath before she began. "Well, a lot of us kids grew up around here, you know? And we are all pretty close—well, we used to be anyway. But, our friend Barry—everyone knew who Barry was, he was like the most pop—" she was abruptly cut off by Dean, who had his brows raised high.

"Barry?"

Sam rolled his eyes and nudged Dean on his shoulder. "Dean," he warned quietly before turning to Abigail, sending her a nod to continue.

"Right," Abby said. "Barry—he uh, would throw these bonfires at the end of the school year and all of us would hang out and tell ghost stories and stuff. But it wasn't like just random ghost stories, it was stuff that supposedly happened here, you know? And there was one story that according to Barry happened in the seventies. Young couple just finishing high school—want to get hitched. They came here." She took a deep breath and nodded her head as she recalled the story she hasn't thought about in years. "From what I remember, the bridal party thought it'd be funny to get drunk and play hide and seek. The new wife went to hide up in the attic so her husband, who was the seeker, wouldn't find her. She hid in a chest and waited, but she realized that she was locked inside. She suffocated or starved to death in there—depending on who you asked. But the groom thought that she had left him that she did not want to be with him anymore. Years later, one of the staff members went up there to clean or store something—I'm not exactly sure, but whatever the reason was, that person had noticed the chest and opened it, finding the dead bride inside. Rumor is she wallows around seeking for her husband who never came to find her."

Jackson blinked in surprise along with everyone else. _Wow_. He thought about it and in a lot of ways, the story did add up—well, except the part of the grooms suddenly dying—of _suffocation_; a possible death that the young bride could have faced. And the brides are suddenly disappearing? Was she was hiding them, like playing a game of hide and seek? The ghost only seems to appear during a wedding reception or ceremony—which is when, according to the story, the bridal party decided to play their game, leading in the young bride's death. Holy crap. Abigail's story actually made sense. A big grin formed on his lips as his eyes landed on Abby, who had been staring at him. "Abigail, you are a genius!" He then looked at Riley pointedly. "And you once said high school parties are pointless."

Riley snorted and shrugged her shoulders. "Hey, I'll gladly admit I was wrong about that one." She looked at Abigail thankfully. "Thank you for sharing your story, Abigail. You just gave us a lot of answers to the majority of the questions we've been asking since we got here."

Abby smiled. "Glad I can help."

"Okay," Jo cut in, her eyes glancing between Abby and Riley. "_Now_ what?"

Dean picked up his empty plate and smirked. "Now, we throw ourselves a wedding."

All heads snapped in Dean's direction and watched as he swiped a finger across the plate and brought it up to his lips, licking some of the frosting. He raised his brows at them questionably. "This ghost only appears during a wedding, right? So _we_ give her a wedding. While some of us deal ghosty bitch downstairs, the others will be up in the attic to find what it is that is keeping her here. Sound good?"

"Okay," Riley agreed wearily. It wasn't a great plan, considering that their own lives will be put at risk, but then again, their lives were _always_ at risk. She looked around the room, her eyes trailing over the several faces that stood before her. "So who's getting hitched?"

Dean raised his brows and smirked, he stared directly at Abby and Jackson who were undoubtedly _gazing_ at each other. Riley, along with Sam, Jo, and Tony slowly turned their heads in their direction and smirks of their own formed on their lips. Riley watched Abby's eyes widen in realization and she turned back to Jackson, mouth agape.

"Uh," Jackson chuckled as he rubbed the back of his neck uncomfortably. He raised his eyes to meet her own. He grinned sheepishly. "So you wanna get married?"

* * *

"I can't get married! I'm too young! And my brother needs to walk me down the isle. Jackson—"

Abby had been going on a full-blown rant for the past fifteen minutes about how she could not go through with their plan. She even asked Riley why she couldn't be the one to play pretend bride, but she had quickly replied that it would practically be incest if she should ever marry Jackson. They had such a close relationship—but it was more of a sibling-type of relationship more than anything else. She loved that kid to pieces and viewed him as the baby brother she never had. And yeah, even though they drove each other crazy the majority of the time, Riley knew that she would never have it any other way.

From her seat, Riley noticed Dean was about to snap back at the teenager standing in front of the big mirror in the bridal suite. He paused all action of cleaning his rock-salt shotgun and glared in Abby's direction. Dean let out a scoff; obviously seeing her panicked expression and said, "Abigail, for the love of everything—the wedding _isn't_ real, all right? Relax."

Jackson, on the other hand was trying to adjust his tie in the mirror. Once again, the keyword here being: _trying_. Even though Jackson was a Hallowell, he was definitely a Harvelle at heart. The man just could _not_ learn to knot his tie properly, just like her father and Uncle Bill. He huffed out an aggravated breath and spun to face Riley. She had to hold back a laugh when she noticed his fingers had been wrapped awkwardly around the fabric like it had been earlier. "Uh, Riles?" Jackson called her, pursing his lips tightly as he attempted to look down at his poor attempt of his knotted tie. "Assistance, please?"

Riley couldn't help but snort at the sight, she pushed herself out of the small wooden chair and walked towards Jackson. She quickly unknotted the tie and released his fingers from captivity, watching his bone-white fingers slowly fall back into circulation now that there wasn't anything to cut it off. Riley took the fabric in her hands, and re-knotted the tie as if it was a second nature to her. From the corner of her eye, she caught the sight of her cousin, who was still in her royal blue dress; she was on her knees behind Abby, fluffing her big, puffy wedding gown. They had gotten lucky, Tony informed the group that one of the disappearing brides and brought in a second dress to change into while at the reception, but unfortunately, their celebration had never gotten that far. Riley saw that the scowl on Jo's lips still remained. It wasn't really a surprise.

Ever since Riley eavesdropped on Jo and Dean's conversation in the lobby, she couldn't bring herself to talk to Jo, except for that one moment in Tony's office. In a split second, she had grown balls and attempted to corner her cousin outside and confront her about it. It wasn't the brightest idea, considering the timing was just freaking _impeccable_, (note the sarcasm). Four people were now dead, and another four vanished; one of those four disappearances was on her. If she hadn't gone out to go play James Bond and listen in on Jo and Dean's conversation, maybe she would have been able to save Julia from whatever horrible fate awaited her. None of them knew what actually happened to those four brides, and unfortunately, there is a large chance that they may _never_ find out. Now, Abigail's life is being put at risk. What if this doesn't work? What if Abby disappears with the rest of them and never comes back? Not to mention Jackson, who could _die_. It was pretty damn obvious and not to mention adorable that Jackson had already taken interest in her. And it was those cute little moments Riley managed to catch between them that she wished he didn't have to live this kind of life—the one where they hunt monsters and evil creatures for a living—and _not_ get paid. It seriously sucked, because if anyone deserved happiness like that, it would be Jackson. That kid lost too much before he even realized he lost it in the first place. _Does that even make sense? _Riley suddenly felt a hand on her shoulder. Startled, she looked up to see Jackson frowning down at her. _Damn him for being so tall_. There was concern covering all of his features. "What's going on, Riley?"

"Something I don't exactly know how to fix."

It was true. How does one mend things after all of that? Jo had said all of that to Dean. Imagine what she wants to share in front of Riley. If there was one thing Riley admired about Jo was her blunt truthfulness. There is none of that 'fake' crap with her cousin; Jo would tell you her shit straight up. The majority of the time, anyway.

Jackson glanced at Jo before looking down at Riley as she finished his tie. "You'll figure it out. Somehow, you always do."

A small, sad smile graced her lips as Riley stared at Jackson. "Thanks, Jacks." No matter what, Jackson would forever be her rock. He pulled her in for a hug and they stood like that for a long moment before breaking away, his hands still holding Riley's shoulders. He glanced down at her red dress before looking up and meeting Riley's eyes.

"Hey, does that dress have pockets?"

Riley's brows shot up to her hairline at the sudden topic change. Okay then. She looked down at her blood red dress and her hands smoothened out the soft, silky fabric. "No," she said slowly. "Why?"

Jackson simply shrugged, blowing off the incredulity in her tone. "Cause it's the duty of the groom's best man to hold the wedding bands," he stated as he stuffed a hand in his suit-pant pocket and moved his fingers around until he grasped two plain silver bands. Wedding bands. He reached down and grabbed Riley's left hand before placing the two circular objects in the palm of her hand. _Holy crap_.

"I'm your best man?"

Jackson shrugged his shoulders again. "Best _wo_man."

Riley couldn't help but laugh and shake her head. Despite knowing that this entire wedding ceremony was a set-up, it being a part of the plan to take down this ghost that was haunting Tony's wedding hall; Riley still couldn't help but feel honored to be Jackson's best man—_woman_. "I love you, idiot," she said wholeheartedly.

"If things were different…" Jackson shook his head at the thought. "If we were normal, and we didn't hunt monsters for a living, and if there was a way for us to one day settle down with good, normal people. It's you that would be standing next to me as my bride comes down the isle. I wouldn't have it any other way."

Riley stared up at Jackson for a long time before once again pulling him into a tight hug. "I wish you could have that, Jackson," she whispered into his ear as they embraced. "Because you deserve that happiness."

"You do too, you know," Jackson replied quietly. He pulled away and smiled down at her. "Besides, who knows what tomorrow brings. Maybe one day we could have that."

_No we can't._ _Not in this lifetime. _As much as Riley wished that it could be a possible reality for them—to know that somewhere down the road, that the two of them, Jo, even Sam and Dean could live happy normal lives with the white picket fences and working a regular job that you actually get _paid_ for. But, deep down, Riley knew that it was a hopeless dream. This was it for them, unfortunately. There was no getting old and sitting in the rocking chair at age ninety, knitting for your great grandkids as you recollect your greatest hits. Every hunter met a bloody end, and that included them. But nonetheless, Riley still smiled, but it didn't reach her eyes. She bopped her head up and down. "Maybe."

The door to the bridal suite swung open, causing the five people occupying the room to jerk their heads in that direction. Sam and Tony entered the room solemnly and waited for the rest of the group to approach them. Sam blew out a tired sigh and shook his head. "Okay, we are pretty much set. We lined the altar with salt, so if the ghost comes, she won't be able to get close enough to get near you," he said, looking directly at Jackson and Abby, who nodded their heads in understanding. "We just have one problem."

Jo let out a groan and threw her head back. "What _now_?"

"We have no one to 'wed' Jackson and Abigail," was Sam's quick reply.

Dean pursed his lips in thought before a grin split across his face. "Hey," he called to his brother. "Don't we still have those priest costumes somewhere in the trunk?"

Sam's eyes grew wide. "Dude—_no_."

"Dude—_yes_," Dean said, smirking. "Come on, man. Let's praise the Lord!"

Abby shook her head. "Hold on a second, though. If Dean is going to perform the ceremony, then who is going with you to look for the haunted object?" she directed her question at Sam.

Sam opened his mouth to reply, but was cut he was cut off by Tony, "I'll perform the ceremony. Lord knows I've witnessed it a thousand times. This way the two of you can stay together."

Dean looked less than pleased, while Sam seemed relieved that the original plan wasn't changing too much.

"So that's it then," Riley said, looking at everyone. "Are we ready?"

"Oh—oh wait!" Abby said quickly. She turned to face Jo, shifting on her feet rather awkwardly. "Um. Can you like—uh, be my maid of honor?"

Jo blinked in surprise, obviously not expecting _that_. "Um… sure I guess."

Abby sighed in relief. "Oh thank god. Because none of my friends would be able to get here in time."

Jo's mouth opened and closed several times, not exactly sure whether that was supposed to be an insult or not. She had decided to not say anything else, so she gave a small nod before sending her cousin an odd look, temporarily forgetting that she was supposed to be angry with her.

Riley caught her eye, and despite being surprised at the sudden interaction, she reacted as she normally would and hoped that maybe Jo was starting to forgive her. She tried to suppress a laugh and shrugged her shoulders. The two of them watched Jackson and Abby walk towards the exit, making small talk.

"So, how do I look," Abby asked as she tried to smoothen out any wrinkles in her dress.

"You look amazing, Abby. Seriously—_oh my god_!" Jackson suddenly shrieked and jumped back, smacking into Dean, who nearly toppled on top of Sam. It was like a horrible domino effect.

"Geez!" Dean muttered before looking at Jackson incredulously. "What the hell was _that_?"

Jackson slapped his hands in front of his eyes. "I'm not supposed to see her dress until she walks down the isle! It's bad luck! Oh my god, Abigail, I just jinxed our whole marriage. We are epically screwed!"

Tony, who was quietly observing the scene, had walked in Jackson's direction and once standing in front of the nineteen year old, he swung his hand, successfully slapping him on the back of the head. "Damn boy! It's not a real wedding! Now get your ass downstairs!"

Riley couldn't help but laugh when Tony practically kicked Jackson's ass out the door, the rest of the group followed behind. She glanced back in Jo's direction and all laughter drained away when she noticed the angry expression was once again smeared across her cousin's face. She shot Riley a dirty look before walking out the door.

_So much for forgiveness._

* * *

Sam and Dean Winchester ventured upstairs into the attic in search for whatever it may be that is keeping the ghost bride bound to their world while the rest of the group remained standing inside a salt circle, preparing to hold a fake wedding. Riley couldn't help but fidget in her spot, the familiar sense of anxiety creeping down her spine as she watched Abigail walk the small five steps to stand in front of Jackson and Tony, who was surprisingly willing and oddly excited to put on the priest costume Dean stored away in the trunk of his beloved impala. Their plan seemed to run smoothly until Tony started speaking.

"What kind of wedding is this?" he whispered to Jackson and Abby.

Jackson's brows furrowed in confusion. "Um, the kind where two people get married?"

Tony sent a glare in his direction. "I know that. I mean is it a Catholic, Greek Orthodox—"

"I'm not anything. I don't follow religion." He looked at Abby. "What are you?"

Abby blinked in surprise. "I'm Protestant."

Jackson turned to Riley. "That's Jewish, right?"

"No!" Riley retorted, shaking her head. She looked at Tony pointedly. "Just do anything. The ghost isn't going to care," she whispered impatiently.

"Right," Tony nodded. He held his hands up in the air and began. "Dearly beloved…"

Riley zoned out and glanced down at her phone where Sam would be giving her updates. It suddenly vibrated and Riley quickly opened up the message box. _Nothing_, it said. They've found nothing as of yet. Her insides felt like they were twisting and squeezing together from all the jumbled nerves. She looked up at Jackson and Abby, who were grinning at each other like idiots. Riley then caught sight of Jo, who was standing a few steps away from Abby with a bouquet in her hand, which surely had her father's swiss army knife hidden inside; its handle made of pure iron. Jo must have felt eyes on her because she glanced away from Abby and Jackson and looked at Riley.

"Anything?" she mouthed silently.

Riley could only shake her head and hope that the boys find whatever was tethering the ghost to Bent Hall before anyone else gets hurt—more specifically, Jackson and Abigail.

Two floors up stood Dean and Sam staring at a bunch of dusty… junk. Everything that was up there looked like it hadn't been touched since it was placed there. Sam had shoved his phone back in his pocket and continued to shuffle through various objects, crates, and whatever he could find. Dean did the same, but he was quickly losing his patience. Letting out a scoff, "This is freaking nuts," he muttered as he pushed open one of the boxes and checking inside for its contents. "How the hell are we supposed to find anything in here?"

"I don't know, Dean." Sam huffed. "Keep looking."

"Wasn't planning on stopping," Dean retorted, opening up another box. He paused, noticing the various bags of road salt was scattered on the floor. "What do we have here?"

Sam perked up and walked towards his brother. He caught sight of the road salt and smirked knowingly. "Abigail said that they found that bride in a chest right?" Dean nodded. "There's one right there—where the bags of salt were probably placed on top." He looked at Dean; realization was setting in. "That's why she only started appearing now. Tony started doing renovations on the place, right? The bags of salt was knocked over and it set her spirit free."

Dean nodded his head, understanding his brother's words. "So the salt was keeping her spirit at bay?" he questioned.

"Yeah," Sam said. "Locking her up in the chest. Whatever it is—it's in the chest."

"Or it _is_ the chest."

Suddenly the lights began to flicker in the attic, which caused Sam and Dean to freeze. Dean looked at his brother. "We better get moving."

Back downstairs, the ceremony continued on. They were up to telling each other their vows. Jackson smirked down at Abby. "We've only known each other for…" he paused, checking his watch for the time then quickly began to count on his fingers. "A little over nine hours now and I can't think what life would be like if we hadn't met."

"I would be dead," Abby mumbled.

Jackson squeezed her hands tighter and smiled. "In the short time that I've known you, I've learned that you are a fashionista and that you want to travel the world someday. I've learned that you have a kind heart and you are… _beautiful_ inside and out. And I'm very grateful that I met a person like you."

Riley stared at her best friend, her mouth parted slightly in awe. Who knew Jackson could be such a sweet-talker. She pressed her lips together in a small smile. Her phone vibrated again and she quickly opened the newest message from Sam.

_Found the chest._

Riley let out a sigh in relief, her eyes meeting her cousin's once more. She sent a nod in her direction, indicating that the Winchesters had found what they had been looking for. Their plan worked. It ran smoothly without any complications and—

The lights began to flicker rapidly, until the room blacked out completely. Abby let out a loud shriek and a loud thump of a body crashing to the floor followed right after. When the lights flickered back on, Riley immediately knew that Abby had disappeared like the other brides, and Jackson was on the floor, gasping for breath.

_Oh no. No, no, no!_ This could not be happening. "Jackson!" Riley cried, dropping to her knees in front of her best friend. She pulled the phone out of her pocket and tossed it to Jo. "Call Sam. _Now_!"

Riley realized that she spoke too soon.

Jo dialed Sam's number with shaky hands and raised the phone to her ear. _How the hell did this happen?_ The salt circle—Jo didn't hold back a groan when she saw that the salt was blown all over the room. The salt circle was no circle anymore thanks to ghost bridezilla. She looked back down at Riley and Tony who were huddled above Jackson, who like the other grooms, was suffocating to death.

In the attic, the shrill ring of Sam's phone echoed throughout the large room. He fumbled for his Palm Pilot in his pocket, once grasping it he pulled it out and answered the call immediately. "Riley, we got the chest, but we're having a hard time opening it—"

"Sam—" Jo's panic-filled voice came through the speaker. "I don't care what you have to do, but you have to do it right now."

Dean paused for a moment to look at Sam. He raised the crowbar in the air, waving it. "This thing won't budge."

Sam dropped the phone on one of the many crates that surrounded them and pulled out his pistol. He aimed at the lock and pulled the trigger. The chest immediately popped open and Dean grabbed the lighter fluid and one of the bags of road salt. He glanced inside and saw the object that kept the ghost bound to this very place and scoffed. "You gotta be kidding me." After dumping the contents inside, he quickly grabbed a pack of matches and tossed it inside the chest, flames erupted making the brothers take several steps back.

Sam picked up his phone. "Jo?"

Jo sighed, looking down at Riley and Jackson on the floor. Her cousin's arms were wrapped tightly around Jackson, who was still trying to catch his breath. "You guys did it."

There was a sudden bang in the attic, which caused Sam and Dean to still. A door that neither brother had spotted before swung open and five women, including Abigail and Julia, who slowly walked outside the hidden room—all of them in wedding dresses. Abby shrugged her shoulders at Sam and Dean. "Look who I found."

Sam smiled in relief before turning to Dean. "What was it?"

Dean stared at his brother with a blank expression. "Her friggin' wedding band."

_Figures._

* * *

The next day was their final night in New York. Tony had asked to stay during the next scheduled wedding reception in case the ghost reappeared again. Dean had promised that it wasn't going to happen, because shortly after the fake wedding ceremony, he and Sam had carried what was left the chest outside and burned the rest of it. Riley had obviously felt bad for making them stay another day and told them that they could leave if they wanted, but both brothers were quick to decline, stating that they would stay.

The five hunters were once again changing into their suits and party dresses for the final time, which Riley was extremely thankful for. She had just finished adjusting Jackson's tie, he thanked her before saying that he was off to see Abby before the wedding reception started.

Dean looked at Riley and his brother. "I'm gonna go talk to Tony before the reception," he said, excusing himself from the room.

Sam sat on the bed, tying the laces of his black dress shoes. He looked up at Riley with a small smile. "So, I'm curious. Just how many weddings have you guys crashed?"

Riley huffed out a laugh. "Do we look like the type that would occasionally crash weddings, Sam?"

Sam shrugged his shoulders. "I dunno… you never fail to surprise me, I guess."

Riley smirked and shook her head. "No. I've never crashed a wedding before." She paused for a moment in thought before looking at Sam with gleaming eyes. "Crashed a Bar Mitzvah once, though."

Sam barked out a loud laugh. "Of _course_ you did."

Riley grinned and shrugged her shoulders at his response. She wasn't going to lie, she did feel a little giddy when Sam told her that she was always surprising him. She looked away from him and her eyes scanned the room, she caught the bathroom door opening and Jo stepping out, wearing her royal blue dress and her silver heels in her hand. Sam suddenly cleared his throat, causing Riley to look at him curiously. He glanced at Jo then back at Riley, sending her a silent message.

_Talk things out. _

Riley faintly nodded her head and watched Sam get up and excuse himself from the room. He sent her a small smile before walking out the door. She turned to Jo who had taken a seat where Sam was sitting moments before and began to slip on the silver heels.

"I'm sorry, Jo."

Jo's head snapped up and her brown eyes bored into Riley's. "What?"

"I'm sorry… for _everything_ that's been going on."

Jo wore a guarded expression. "For what?"

Riley sighed. "I heard you and Dean talking earlier and—"

"You were _eavesdropping_ on me?!" Jo said angrily. She stood up from the bed and glared at Riley. "Why? That was a private conversation, Riley!"

"Well, it was the only way I can find out what the hell's been going on with you!" Riley snapped back, throwing her arms up. "You weren't wrong either, Jo! It isn't fair and we're going to fix it, okay?" She decided not to bring up some of the other harsh words Jo said to Dean the night before. And honestly, Riley wasn't even sure how she would approach the subject of Ellen favoriting one over the other. Riley knew that was a lie, and so did Jo. She was sure that Jo had probably said it out of spite, thinking that the entire world had turned against her. It was something she had done many times during her teenage years. Riley, though? Riley didn't give a shit about that kind stuff when she was younger—up until her father died, that is. It wasn't until then Riley started to believe that everything that she held close was being forcefully taken away from her, like a bully snatching away a little kid's lollipop. And it scared her to no end.

Jo scoffed, cutting off Riley's thoughts. "I thought you didn't want me hunting."

"I don't," Riley replied, which caused Jo to scoff again and open her mouth, preparing to give another angry retort, though Riley spoke up before she could. "But, I'll still stand by you if you choose to." She shook her head, looking away from Jo. "It's _your_ life. You aren't a child. You wanna hunt. _Hunt_. Just don't get reckless. Don't get yourself _killed_." When Riley's eyes met Jo's, it was easy to see that she was holding back tears. "Because I can't live without you. I _can't_, okay?"

Jo stepped forward and quickly wrapped her arms around Riley, who quickly hugged her back tightly. "I'm sorry too," Jo said quietly. "I was wrong to take everything out on you. But when you told me that you were leaving the roadhouse to come get me before we came to New York… I snapped. I _want_ to come home, Ri."

Riley pulled away and sent Jo a small smile. "Don't worry that pretty blonde head of yours," she said, brushing Jo's hair away from her face. "This crap is getting settled once we leave New York." Riley's expression grew serious. "We only have one shot at life, Jo. It's a delicate thing and I don't think a lot of people realize that everyone won't always be there. Especially people like us. Hunters don't tend to live very long. Look how close we were to losing J yesterday… so we need to enjoy what we got left on the clock, okay?" She squeezed Jo's shoulder before dropped her hand away. "Aunt Ellen is just going to have to accept that."

Jo nodded her head. "I hope you're right."

Riley forced a grin and nodded towards the door. "We'll worry about it later, all right? Come on, I can use a drink at the bar—more like five, but you know what I mean."

Jo chuckled and followed her cousin out of the room and in the direction of the main hall where the reception was being held. It was already flooding with people and the DJ was blasting music, which bounced off the high ceiling. The party was already in motion. Jo's eyes caught sight of Dean and she smirked. "I'll talk to you later," was all she said before she strut over to Dean, who was stuffing his face with more wedding cake at one of the empty tables. Jo grabbed his tie and pulled him out of his seat, abandoning the cake at the table, and dragged him onto the dance floor. It wasn't long until the both of them were dancing in sync along with the music.

"You and Riley work things out?" Dean asked as his hand gently wrapped around her waist.

Jo sent him a small smile and nodded. "Yeah. We're good."

Dean could only smile down at her. "Good to hear."

In the far back corner of the room, Abigail and Jackson sat at an empty table. Abby stared up at Jackson and said, "Am I ever going to see you again?"

Jackson tilted his head to the side. "Do you want to see me again?"

"Well, I _did_ fake marry you," she pointed out, trying and failing to hold back a smile. "How could you be my fake husband if I don't even know what your favorite color is? That would make me a horrible fake wife, don't you think?"

Jackson smirked. There was something about this girl. Something _different_. He liked the way he felt when he was with Abigail. And he never wanted that feeling to go away. She was sweet and clumsy—like Bambi. And he knew that she was well aware of the darkness that lurks out in the world—not down to the exact detail, obviously, but well enough informed that there are more than your average ghost. Jackson remembered what he told Riley shortly after he asked her to be his best woman. _Who knows what tomorrow brings_. Maybe… maybe this girl could be his tomorrow.

"Blue."

Abby frowned. "What?"

He chuckled softly and leaned in closer. "My favorite color is blue. What's yours?"

Meanwhile, Riley Harvelle stood on the balcony and watched the sun descend in the trees. Even though it was spring, the weather had yet to warm up, especially in this area. She blew out a sigh and leaned her elbows on the beautify carved stone and continued to stare out into the trees. The panicked feeling in her stomach had yet to go away. Jackson almost died in her arms last night, which had been one of the most terrifying moments in her life. She _couldn't_ lose him. Like she told Jo, she wouldn't be able to handle it if something were to happen to her, and Jackson too. They were a part of her small, messed up family that she loved so much.

There was the sound of shuffling feet behind her that quickly pulled Riley out of her thoughts, she tilted her head back slightly and caught sight of Sam. He was leaning against the wall with his arms crossed in front of his chest smiling at her.

"Hey," he said softly.

A small smile of her own graced her lips. "Hey, Sam."

He pushed himself off the wall and walked closer to her, mirroring her position and leaning on the balcony. "What're you doing out here?" he asked curiously. "The party's inside."

"I know," Riley said with the shrug of her shoulders. "Needed some air."

The two of them stood in a comfortable silence before Sam asked, "Did you and Jo work things out?"

Riley nodded her head. "Yeah. I think everything's going to be okay between me and Jo. In all honesty, our fight was bound to happen sooner or later," she admitted. "I'm just happy that we were able to fix it."

"Of course you would," Sam said. "You guys are family."

Riley turned to Sam, smiling softly. "And family's gotta stick together, right?"

Sam returned the smile and nodded. "Yep," he readily agreed. "So, it seems like now you've crashed not one wedding, but _two_."

She snorted. "I'll be sure to add that to the growing list of all the crazy crap I've done." She looked down at her dress and attempted to smoothen out some of the wrinkles. "Man, I seriously can't wait to change out of this thing. It's like the devil sewed the fabric himself. It's freaking satanic."

Sam let out a small chuckle before he looked at Riley, an expression she couldn't quite read swept over his face. "Well, I think you look _beautiful_, Riley."

Neither of them moved or said anything for a long minute, which if you asked Riley, felt like an eternity. A grin slowly appeared on her lips and she felt her cheeks flush as she glanced up at him. "Thank you, Sam." She hesitated for a moment before grabbing his hand and leading him back inside the party room.

"Whoa—where are we going?" Sam asked, his eyes growing wide as he realized they were heading in the direction of the dance floor. "Riley—I can't dance. I don't know how to," he admitted as his gigantor body spastically was dragged towards the speakers and the DJ.

"It's okay!" Riley said loudly, now that they were nearing closer to the dance floor and the music was practically vibrating throughout the entire room. "I'll help you. Believe me, it's not that hard. Just move to the beat!"

Sam swallowed heavily and forced himself to nod, letting Riley know that he had in fact heard her. Once they got on the dance floor, Riley immediately grabbed his other hand and began to sway her hips back and forth to the music. His poor attempts to try and 'move to the beat' as Riley said, caused Riley to burst into laughter.

"Sam, you are thinking _way_ to hard about this," she said, smiling. "Relax. You're fine."

She put her arms around Sam's neck and he immediately placed his hands delicately on Riley's hips, finally swaying along with Riley and in sync with the music. She grinned up at him. "See? It's not hard. Show me what ya got, Sammy."

They both laughed loudly and joked around with each other on the dance floor. Sam twirled her around and attempted to pull a dip, which had Riley cracking up the entire time. This was what people talked about. This was fun. You get to have a moment where you forget about the outside world—escape reality and just enjoy the moment.

It was a moment where they didn't have to worry about killing a monster, searching for a haunted object, or reading off exorcisms from occult books. It was a small, rare moment that not many hunters can have, it was a moment where they could be just two normal people dancing and laughing at a wedding reception.

A moment of _normalcy._

Something that both Sam and Riley sure as hell enjoyed.

* * *

**RCH Playlist: (Link on my profile)**

**Scene - Jackson and Abby talk: _Numb_ by Lincoln Park**

**Scene - Jackson asks Riley to be his best man: _Brothers and Sisters_ by Coldplay**

**Scene - Jo and Riley talk: _Crystals_ by Of Monsters and Men**

**Scene - Riley and Sam talk on the balcony: _You and Me_ by Lifehouse**

* * *

**A/N: **Well?! What did you guys think?! Did you guys catch something in the chapter? ;) Anyway, I seriously apologize for taking over a month to get Part 2 out for you guys! Between finishing up classes and finals, I had some personal stuff come up that needed to be dealt with—hence the month wait for an update. Also, a huge thank you to everyone who followed, favorited and reviewed! Almost 70 followers! Ah, I love you guys! It's official, we only have three or four chapters left, depending on how I split up the finale. Question for you guys, I was originally going to start another story for S3 but would you guys rather have it all on one story? Let mwah know! Thank you for reading and don't forget to drop a review on your way out! :)

* * *

**Review Responses: **

**NicoleR85:** Thank you so much for your review! I hope you enjoyed the second half of Bride and Seek! And I hope you liked how Jo and Riley resolved their problems. In a way, I can't blame Jo for snapping. Because in all honesty, she's not exactly in the wrong either, you know? So we'll find out next chapter how their trip back home goes! ;) thanks again for your review!

**January Lily: **Ah! I am so happy you liked this chapter and that it exceeded your expectations. The idea came to my head over some random picture I found on twitter actually. I don't even remember the account name but it was some haunted places and ghost stories and I found one similar to what I wrote, did a bit of research—thus Bride and Seek was born, ahaha. Thank you so much for saying that! Seriously, it can get difficult trying to place characters into a storyline without it seeming forced, so you saying that really makes me happy, haha. Ugh I had to split it up, for one, the chapter was getting pretty long and if I kept it as one, it would have taken forever for an update. Ugh! Neither can I, and it's going to be a while until we get to that point where Sam and Riley are a thing. And that edit (along with the rest of the beautiful edits you send) was absolutely amazing! Thank you so much girly! Haha, don't even worry, I am like the queen of rambling. Thanks again for your lovely review, they always make my day! Love you girly! :)

**switchbladeheart: **Oh trust me, you don't have to tell me twice how much exams suck. We should protest! I actually had a professor last semester agree that exams are useless. (He actually gave our class the exam questions ahead of time so we could study). Pretty awesome dude, haha. Anyway back to your review—thank you, thank you, thank you! Yes, Jackson and Riley do have such a strong relationship and definitely treat each other like siblings. My brother and I are the same way, constantly bickering and fooling around. OMG YES! Sam and Riley forevzz, am I right? I hope you enjoyed the last scene with their dance. Ugh I can't wait until they get together, and it's so far away too. I really liked writing the Dean/Jo scene, and you are right, Riley and Jo's relationship isn't all sunshine and rainbows unfortunately and the whole hunting ordeal has been building up since the beginning of the story. So it was about time that it got straightened out. (And don't worry, I ship Dean and Jo until the end of time). Anyway, I hope you enjoyed the second half of Bride and Seek! Thank you so much for your wonderful review! :)

**wolfenergy17:** Ah! You reread the entire story?! Holy crapola! Awww, seriously thank you so much! I'm glad you're liking it so far! I really like writing my own stuff, it keeps things interesting, especially since we already know what happens in the canon episodes. So if an idea ever pops into your head, send it my way and I'll see what I can do! :) Thank you again for taking the time to read, and reread my story, and leave a lovely review at nearly 5AM haha! I hope you enjoyed the second half of Bride and Seek! Thanks again! :)

**Emilia Christine:** Seriously, girl! Don't even worry about it, we all got stuff to do. So thank you for taking the time to review! Yeah, it was about time Jo flipped. Her reasons for it were justified and now things between her and Riley are pretty much resolved. Now it's time to see how Ellen is gonna take it. Ugh Sam and Riley, where to begin with those two. They are so darn adorable and they tip-toe around each other. It'll go on for a while before anything serious happens. Jackson and Abby, I'm with you there. And we will be seeing her again in season three! (And I plan to bring in her very over-protective brother in too. Jackson better prepare himself, haha.) I really hope you enjoyed the second half of the chapter! And again, thank you so much for your review! Reading them really makes my day! :)

**Guest:** AHH THANK YOU SO MUCH! Chestervelle and Samley forever, am I right?! Thank you so much, seriously, you have no idea how much that means to me. Your review made my day! (And I wish Riley was canon. Supernatural would get ten times more entertaining, haha—especially if Jackson was in the picture!) I hope you enjoyed the second half of Bride and Seek! Thanks again for your lovely review! :)


	13. The Hourglass

**Riley Carter Harvelle**

**_Chapter Twelve:_ The Hourglass **

You see, time is a very tricky thing. Time is endless, but unfortunately every living thing can't strive forever; especially humans. One day, your time will be up and that's the end of it. It can't be changed—it's just how the world is.

You live, and then you die.

But the real question is, just how much time does one actually have? That's the problem—you don't _know_ how much. There is no real possible way to even remotely come up with an answer. It's just not possible. The truth is, you don't know how much time you have on earth. So with that information, the most logical reaction would be not to waste what little time you have left. Because there's no time to give. You only got what you have. Use it well, because even though time may go on forever… you _don't_.

Riley Harvelle nervously tapped her fingers against the wooden counter of the bar. The roadhouse was as per usual—the juke box blasting some old country-rock song, rowdy hunters guzzling down cheap beer, retelling the stories of previous hunts, and placing bets by the pool table; trying to get enough cash that would hopefully get them a half-decent bed to sleep in. Riley wasn't quite sure _why_ she felt so on edge, but she did. She never felt more fidgety in her entire life. She, Jo, and Jackson had arrived back at the roadhouse barely three weeks ago and the tensions between Jo and Ellen seemed to lessen as time went on—something Riley was definitely grateful for. Ellen decided to make no comments about hunting and the weeks passed on by peacefully.

Ash had been busy too, endlessly typing away on his laptop, trying to find something—_anything_ that could possibly give them more information on why the demons wanted the pendant so badly, what relevance it had to Samuel Colt; the hunter who was famous for his supernatural killing gun—_the_ Colt. And the other big question—just why in the hell did Riley's father have it, then give it to Eric Hallowell? So far, he had no such luck finding any answers.

Although, Ash did discover that there had been no demon activity sighted on his radar for quite sometime. It was something that Riley most definitely did not take comfort in. Why suddenly stop? Where did they go? What are they planning?

More questions that none of them had answers to.

The two rowdy hunters that stood awfully close to one another near the pool table brought Riley back to reality. One was a burly man who could have passed as a member in a biker gang with his white mustache and long goatee, and the other, who compared to biker guy, looked like a bug that was about to be squashed by his foot. She blinked several times before leaning towards Ash on her left. "Hey," she said softly, still not taking her eyes off the two men that looked like they were about to pounce on top of each other and _brawl_. "You think we're gonna have to cut in?" she glanced up at Ash before turning her attention back to the pool table where a crowd of hunters watched eagerly as a fight between the two men started to ignite. "I don't think Aunt Ellen will be particularly pleased if she has to mop up blood and teeth tonight."

Ash quirked a brow at Riley before sparing a glance towards the pool table. He let out a snicker before taking a swig of his beer. Apathetically shrugging his shoulders, he bent his head down so his pale blue eyes could meet Riley's brown ones. "Hypothetically speakin', exactly whose blood and teeth would we be moppin' up tonight if they were to go at it?"

Riley casted him an incredulous look and let out a loud scoff. Her eyes glanced between the two hunters and it was pretty damn obvious just who would come out victorious when—_if_ they start throwing punches at each other. Riley noticed from the corner of her eye that Ash was still waiting for an answer. She shook her head and frowned up at him. "Wait—are you serious? Ash—the dude is like King Kong compared to the other guy. King Kong is winning, hands down."

Ash seemed to accept her answer, giving a slight nod of his head, but his eyes narrowed at the two men, similar as to what Riley had done several moments before. A small smirk suddenly appeared on his lips as he observed the fight that was about to begin. "I beg to differ."

"Yeah?" Riley asked, doubtful. "What makes you think—"

Riley never got to finish her sentence, because she was too distracted by the brute force of a punch that came from the smaller hunter and as if that wasn't enough of a shock, what Riley previously assumed to be a shrimp of a man, had suddenly lunged for King Kong in a full tackle, successfully knocking his large ass to the ground and began swinging his fists towards the other's face that _sounded_ hard enough to knock him out cold. "Oh shit," Riley blurted out before she hurriedly jumped off the barstool, rushing over towards the pool table to try and stop the fight along with two other hunters who decided to intervene as well.

Most hunters were drifters, stopping in for the night and then moving on, but there were some regulars. Michael and Sheehan were the roadhouse regulars and Riley deemed them to be respectable young men and very good hunters. The two of them had grown up together and even shared a dorm during college. Neither of them had went into specifics, but it was fairly obvious that something supernatural-related happened during their college years, which ultimately got them into hunting. They had reached the two men before Riley, being that they were watching an intense game of pool go down, probably hoping that they had put their money down on the right guy. Michael had grabbed the supposed weakling by his shirt collar and hauled him up to his feet while Sheehan got down on his knees to check on King Kong. Michael looked at Riley, indicating to the guy he had in his grasp, he said, "What do you want me to do with this?"

Riley jerked a thumb towards the exit. "Outside. Thanks, Mikey."

"No problem, princess," Michael replied, a playful smirk gracing his lips.

She couldn't help but snort as he walked passed her, holding a tight grip on the guy's collar. "You _wish_ I was your princess."

Michael laughed. "I'm not going deny that."

Riley shook her head at him in amusement before she turned to look at the other guy. Sheehan managed to coax the man back to consciousness and was now slowly getting him into a sitting position. Riley went down on her knees and took a quick glance at Sheehan before looking at the man's bloody face. "You okay?"

He shot her a dirty look. "Do I _look_ okay to you, lady?"

Riley pursed her lips before saying, "You look like you got punched in the face by a guy half your size."

It was apparently the wrong thing to say, because even in his weakened state, he tried to lunge for Riley. She fell back on her ass as he nearly plummeted on top of her, catching a whiff of his breath that wreaked of alcohol. It was obvious that the guy was piss-drunk and it wouldn't have surprised her if he was the one who instigated the fight in the first place. From where she was sitting a few minutes prior, it sure had looked that way. Sheehan, similar to what Michael had done before, grabbed the collar of his shirt and tossed him back on the floor.

"Were you going to hit a _woman_, Richey?" Sheehan growled lowly.

"I was gonna hit a _bitch_," Richey, AKA King Kong slurred, attempting to push himself off the floor and lunge again.

Pushing herself off the floor, Riley sighed and rolled her eyes at the pathetic drunk, whose name was apparently Richey. It didn't fit him, honestly. "If you wanted to label me, Richey. At least do it right. I'm a _badass_ bitch." She grinned when Richey snarled at her again. Sheehan let out a sigh of his own and hauled Richey's ass towards the door. Riley wiped the small beads of sweat off her forehead and looked down, immediately noticing Richey's wallet. She bent down to pick it up and emptied it of all cash before walking towards the door where Michael and Sheehan stood. Swinging open the door, Riley caught sight of Richey on the floor, attempting to sit up right. She threw the wallet as if she was a professional baseball pitcher; it smacked him hard in the face, causing him to fall flat on his back once again. Riley smirked down at him. "Don't worry, what little dough you had inside should cover property damage."

Richey gaped at her. "Property damage? I didn't do damage to nothing!"

Riley shrugged her shoulders apathetically. "Do you know how much of a pain in the ass it is to scrub blood off those wooden floors, Richey?" she questioned. Her expression darkened and her eyes narrowed down at him. "Don't show your face 'round here anymore. Or I'll shoot you where a man don't wanna be shot. And if you see your MMA pal that beat your face in, pass along the message."

With that being said, Riley spun on her heels and walked back inside the bar, a triumphant smile gracing her lips as she strolled up to Michael and Sheehan. "Thanks for that. But we all know I could've handled it."

Michael grinned down at her. "Oh, trust me, Riley. I think we both know how well you can handle yourself."

Still smiling, she patted both of their shoulders in thanks before walking back towards Ash and Jackson, who were still in their same positions at the bar. She hopped up on the seat between two of them and snatched Ash's beer, despite his protests, and took a swig of it. Riley scrunched up her face in disgust and coughed slightly. "_Ugh_—it's warm."

Ash scowled, taking his beer back from her. "Well, no one asked you to drink it, Riles."

Riley shrugged. "Touché." She spun in her chair and looked at Ash curiously. "Hey, how did you know that shrimpy was going to win?"

Ash grinned and tapped a finger to his head. "Because I'm smart, Riley. I'm a genius, remember?" he reminded. Shrugging his shoulders, he said, "Size ain't everythin', sweetheart. You can be the biggest, toughest person in the world, but if you don't have skill strategy, it ain't nothin'." He looked down to her and raised his brows. "You're proof of that."

She quirked a brow. "Me?"

"Riley," Ash chuckled. "Look at you, you're tiny—" his eyes grew wide at his own words. "I mean that as a compliment, of course. But you kick ass all the time. And you take out monsters and people that are more than twice your size," he pointed out.

"This is true," Riley agreed softly, nodding her head. She sent a smile to Ash before turning to her right and watched Jackson peer down at his phone with furrowed brows. "And what the hell are you doing?" she asked curiously. "You've been quiet. And that's not like you."

Jackson jumped, slightly surprised to hear Riley addressing him. His cheeks immediately flushed and his mouth opened and closed several times, no words coming out. Ash quirked a brow as his raised his beer to his lips. "You talkin' to your lady friend again, J?"

"Lady friend?" Riley questioned. A smirk slowly crept on her lips as she stared at Jackson knowingly. "This lady friend wouldn't happen to be Miss Myers, would it?"

"Not that it matters, but yes. Yes, it is. We decided to keep in touch—you know just in case she needs our help again—assistance in the supernatural category—because we—uh, we do that kind of stuff," Jackson mumbled, which caused Ash and Riley to laugh.

"He's got it bad," Ash whispered behind Riley, who had nodded her head in agreement.

Growing uncomfortable under their gazes, Jackson turned his head away from them. "Would you stop staring at me like that? It's weird, guys. Stop."

"I think it's cute," Riley said with a shrug.

"It is most definitely _not_ cute, Riley!" Jackson retorted.

"Yeah, Riles," Ash chided mockingly. "It's _adorable_."

Jackson scowled at the both of them, but it was cut short by the shrill ring of his cellphone, his cobalt blue eyes brightening when he read the Caller ID. He quickly hopped off the barstool, his phone gripped tightly in his hand as he rushed towards the front door for some privacy. Riley snorted and shook her head as he slammed the door shut on his way out. She looked at Ash with raised brows.

"I wonder who that was."

"Guess we'll never know," Ash chuckled.

Suddenly, the entire bar became quiet as if they were listening to something, it was as if someone had pressed the 'mute' button inside the entire roadhouse. Ash and Riley shared a quick glance before both pairs of eyes trailed over the two dozen hunters that crowded up the bar, every single one of them had their eyes glued to the hallway that lead towards the back room—the very same room Riley noticed Jo and Ellen go into nearly forty minutes ago. Her eyes grew wide and panic-filled. "Oh _shit_," she cursed under her breath, practically falling off the barstool as she took off in a run for the back room. Riley heard the sound of glass shattering in the room and she winced. "Not good," she murmured as she reached for the doorknob. Slowly twisting the knob with sweat palms, Riley swung open the door and stared at the scene in front of her in pure shock.

Ellen looked about two seconds away from becoming the female version of the Hulk. Her chest was moving rapidly and her pants were loud and anger-filled. It didn't help that her chocolate orbs were full of nothing but pure rage as she glared down at Jo, who defiantly glared back. There was the remainder of the glass tumbler, shattered all on the floor, obviously after it had made impact on the wall. Riley's eyebrows slowly raised to her hairline as she gawked at the two.

"What the hell?!"

Both Ellen and Jo snapped their heads in Riley's direction, their fierce expressions nearly making Riley flinch back. Yeah, they were _that_ intense. But Riley only stared back at them, her mouth slightly agape as she waited for someone to start explaining just what in god's name happened in here that caused actual _silence_ to overcome the roadhouse. But, as if Riley hadn't intervened in the first place, Jo and Ellen both spun back to face each other, anger now directed back to their given targets, and they continued to duke it out in a screaming match.

"I'm a hunter, mom! That means I'm gonna hunt!"

"Not under my roof you're not!"

"You can't tell me what to do!"

"I'm your mother, you bet your ass I can!"

_What the actual f—_Riley couldn't help but watch the scene play out in front of her. Watching them argue was like watching a train wreck. She blew out a frustrated sigh and stepped forward, putting a hand up in the air, signaling for them to stop talking. "Guys—"

"Why? Because I can die? We _all_ can die, mom! Death is inevitable!"

"Well, at least you won't die by the hands of some damned monster!"

"Hey—_guys_!" Riley called out again, but it was to no use.

"If I wanna die saving people, then it's my choice, not yours!"

"Like hell it isn't, Joanna Beth! I'll—"

"Shut _up_!" Riley screeched loudly, causing Ellen and Jo to quiet. "Jesus Christ! I'm pretty damn sure Satan can hear you from the deepest pits of hell! For the love of God—_stop_ _yelling_!"

"I'm sure Satan can hear you too, Riley," Jo quipped, crossing her arms.

"Be quiet, Jo!" Riley huffed out an aggravated breath. "My God," she muttered with the shake of her head. "Twenty one days. It took the two of you twenty one days until you started screaming at each other like a couple of friggin' banshees. Geez—"

"I thought you didn't want her to hunt, Riley," Ellen said, her brown eyes glaring into hers. "You said it was dangerous and that she shouldn't be out there! But now you guys are hunting together? What—"

"Ah, ah, ah!" Riley raised a hand, silencing her. "First—Jo is _older_ than me, I can't exactly boss her around like it's my job—"

Jo tossed her hands in the air in agreement. "Thank you!"

"By a _year_!" Ellen shouted.

Riley spun around and glared at Jo. "Hey! I ain't talking to you yet. Be quiet!" Turning pack to Ellen, Riley said, "It doesn't matter! It doesn't matter what I want because Jo is gonna do what Jo wants to do. _Obviously_." She huffed out an aggravated breath and shook her head. A frown slowly appearing on her face as she stared down at the wooden floor. "We got all this information—all this _knowledge_ about what's out there and… _what_?" Riley scoffed. "We're just gonna sit with our thumbs up our asses and let the world get crappier than it already is?" she asked seriously. "We got an opportunity here—a seriously shitty opportunity, mind you—to make sure that nobody else ends up where we are. Kill the monsters and get rid of the bad guys. _Save_ people." She let out a sigh and glanced up at Ellen and Jo before narrowing her eyes back towards her aunt. "What's so wrong about that?"

"You wanna save people?" Ellen growled out. "Then go be a doctor or a nurse! Or even a damn social worker—something that doesn't _threaten_ _your_ _life_!" she shouted, looking at Riley and Jo. "The _both_ of you! You're gonna get yourselves killed and then what? I'm going to be stuck here running the saloon full of _hunters_, it would be a constant reminder that my two babies are _dead_!" She shook her head fiercely. "No. I won't have it."

_Well, that didn't go as planned._ Riley grimaced at Ellen's fierce tone. The topic of hunting always had been up in the air with her. Ever since Uncle Bill… it wasn't been the same—_Ellen_ wasn't the same. But, how could she be? Losing your husband, the father of your child… then watching your baby grow up and want to go out there and do the same thing that got him killed in the first place. Riley wasn't disagreeing with her on that. She couldn't even begin to imagine what that felt like. But they were conflicted in this situation—all of them were.

Jo wanted to hunt because it brought her closer to her father.

Ellen wanted them to be safe and _alive_, hunting would only put Jo and Riley at risk.

Riley wanted to save people because she knew it was the right thing to do.

"Mom…" Jo called out to Ellen in a much softer tone. "I—I'm _not_ normal," she stated before sending a quick glance to Riley and corrected herself. "_We're_ not normal. We never were to even begin with. You said it yourself, you work in a bar full of hunters—_we_ work in a bar full of hunters. Hunters, ma! We're in this whether you like it or not."

"There is no such thing as _normal_ for people like us, Aunt Ellen," Riley spoke up quietly. "I wish to god there was," she said before shaking her head. "But there _isn't_."

At this point, Ellen's eyes were full of unshed tears as she stared down at her two girls. She shook her head sadly. "No," she whispered. "I'm not going to watch you two go out there and get yourselves killed." She narrowed her eyes at her daughter. "I did it once with your daddy. I ain't putting myself through that again. I won't—I _can't_ do it. I just can't."

Jo's expression immediately darkened after listening to Ellen's words and Riley feared that she was going to probably say something that she'd later regret. "I'm _not_ dad!" she shouted.

"That just proves that I'm right! You're not your father, Jo! He was a damn _good_ hunter! And he still managed to land himself on a pyre! It doesn't matter how good you are. You can be the best damn hunter there is and _still_ die!" Ellen shouted right back.

"Well at least my death will mean something! At least I'll die knowing that I did good—that I saved people," Jo snarled out. She stared at her mother for a moment, which felt like an eternity for Riley. She let out a cynical chuckle and tilted her head to the side as she watched her mother's expression crumble. "What about you?" she questioned before she turned on her heels and walked out the door that led to the bar, leaving Riley and Ellen alone.

The two of them stood in their spots in silence for a long time, neither one of them taking their eyes off each other. Well, this is awkward. Riley tried her hardest not to let Ellen's intense stare intimidate her, but let's be real—Ellen could be seriously scary and intimidating when she wanted to be. And it sure as hell was working right then. Just as Riley was going to open her mouth to say something, Ellen spoke up, beating her to it.

"I thought you were on my side with this, Riley. You wanted her as far away from this life as possible. What the hell changed?"

"Do you think I _want_ her out there with her ass on the line?!" Riley cried. "Do you think_ I_ want to be out there, killing supernatural creatures and put my ass out on the line?! Aunt Ellen—we _don't_ have a choice! We've _never_ had a choice! Dad and Uncle Bill were in the life and they raised us in it! You've said it yourself—you serve freaking _drinks_ to hunters on a daily basis! We didn't ask for this, we didn't ask to go out there and hunt _monsters_. No, we were _born_ into it. So tell me, how can you keep someone away from a life they were already living, Aunt Ellen?"

"You _do_ have a choice—"

"No we _don't,_ Aunt Ellen. We never did! We weren't meant to be normal."

Ellen smiled a bitter smile and shook her head at her niece. "You're still so naive, Riley," she said with a cynical chuckle. Riley only rolled her eyes, just barely holding back a scoff as she turned around and headed for the door. She couldn't stay in the same room as Ellen anymore, fearing that she might really snap and say something she'll truly regret later. She knew that she had to collect her bearings first before trying to discuss the topic with Ellen again. Just as she reached the door, Ellen's cold voice made her freeze in her place. "Don't bother coming back here until the both of you decide to value your life. It ain't fair to me to worry about you putting your asses on the line _willingly_."

Riley spun back around, facing Ellen once again, opening her mouth to argue that they weren't doing the job willingly, but Ellen simply raised a hand, silencing her. "I don't care what you say—you _always_ have a choice. I care about you and Jo, Jackson too. But if you expect me to care enough for all of us, then I'll be digging myself an early grave. I'm not having it. So, you wanna go out there and hunt? _Fine_. But, _not_ under my damn roof."

* * *

_Tap, tap, tap, tap tap… _

Jo scowled at the constant sound of Jackson's handball hitting the old wooden panels of the Hallowell Cabin. It had been a little over a week since Ellen had practically kicked their asses out the door with nowhere to go, and the first place that came to mind was Jackson's father's old cabin. Jackson looked like he regretted bringing up the idea right after it came out of his mouth, Jo didn't blame him though. His father did get ripped to shreds right in their kitchen, so she understood Jackson's discomfort.

Jo herself was beginning to itch for something to do, something to hunt. And every time she brought up working a possible case, Riley turned her down, giving the excuse that the three of them just needed a break. It was day three at the cabin where Jo decided to confront Riley about the real reason why she didn't want to work a case.

_"Are we going to try and find a case or something?"_

_Riley looked surprised by the sudden question, her eyes widening before a frown took over her features. She looked kind of out of it, lost in her own thoughts. It was pretty damn obvious that Riley wasn't looking for a hunt and probably wishing that she could be swigging a cold beer back at the roadhouse and cracking a couple of jokes with Ash right about then. She shook her head and stared down at the floor, her mind racing with questions. Riley looked up, glancing out the window to see Jackson leaning against the porch railing, staring out into the woods, a somber expression on his face. "Has he been acting weird or is it just me?" she asked, ignoring Jo's question completely._

_She was evading, and Jo knew it. She gave Riley a flat look. "It's Jackson," Jo deadpanned. "He's _always_ weird."_

_Riley rolled her eyes. "No, I mean weirder than usual." _

_"Well, I don't know Riley," Jo said, sarcasm dripping through her words, "maybe it's the fact he's staying in the very place his father was brutally murdered in. Maybe that could be it." _

_Riley scoffed and shook her head. "It was _his_ idea to come here, Jo." _

_"Why don't you want to go hunting?" Jo asked, cutting straight to the chase. "Is it because of what mom said?" _

_"No," Riley replied softly, a sigh escaping her lips. "It's just—" _

_"You think she's right, don't you?" Jo asked accusingly. _

_Riley blinked in surprise. "Wait—what?"_

_"My mom," Jo specified with the roll of her eyes. "You think I shouldn't be hunting?" _

_"Are you kidding me right now, Jo?!" Riley jumped to her feet angrily. "Was what I told Aunt Ellen last week not enough to prove to you that I'm on your side here? What about what I told you back in New York—that _still_ not enough? You want to hunt—great, good for you! Because it's not like we have any other options to choose from!" she let out a shaky breath and shook her head. "You want to know why I am not jumping on a case right now, Jo? Because I am friggin' _tired_. The roadhouse was supposed to be our home—our safe haven—a place where we can just take a freakin' breather—" _

_"Now you know how I feel when I got thrown outta the house." _

After that, Riley seemed especially quiet, not saying much at all to either Jackson or Jo. Jackson kept shooting Jo questionable looks, silently asking 'what the hell did you do?' But Jo didn't quite have an answer, Riley was never the type to sit and sulk, but yet here she was, doing just that. She knew that Riley was still mulling over the blowout between her and Ellen. Riley never liked to fight with anybody, especially someone like Ellen. And she was sure that her previous confrontation with her cousin did not help in the slightest. What really unnerved Jo was just how nervous Riley had become, seeming more on edge than ever. It wasn't until day five at the cabin Jo questioned what was wrong.

_"It's just…" Riley sighed, shaking her head. "Jo, I feel like something's coming. Something bad." _

_A frown appeared on Jo's face as she stared at Riley. "Like _what_?" she questioned with a snort. "I thought Sam was supposed to be the psychic. Maybe he's rubbing off on you. Speaking of—what exactly is going on with you two?" _

_Riley didn't smile. She sat on the old, worn-down couch and stared at her hands in her lap. "Call if a hunter's intuition," she replied with a small shrug of her shoulders. She raised her head to meet Jo's questioning gaze and asked, "What's going on with you and Dean Winchester?" _

_"I asked you first." _

_"I asked you second." _

_"So?" Jo asked with the shake of her head. "First is well… _first_." She leaned back in her seat opposite from Riley and crossed her arms in front of her chest. "Talk." _

_Riley was quiet for a long minute. "You really wanna know?" she asked softly. _

_"Wouldn't have asked if I didn't." _

_Riley nodded her head. "Okay, well… absolutely _nothing_," she said flatly. "You?" _

_Jo sighed. "Same." _

_"Do you want it to be something?" Riley asked, her brows furrowing slightly. _

_"Do you?" _

Their conversation was abruptly cut off when Jackson dropped something in the other room, which was followed by a long string of curses. Both Riley and Jo had gone over to the spare bedroom where Jackson was, the two of them giving him questionable looks when they didn't see anything out of the ordinary. Jackson had simply shrugged it off and told them he knocked over one of his father's old chests that he hadn't noticed before and Riley and Jo seemed to buy it.

On the seventh day, Riley stated that she needed to go see Bobby Singer and try and find answers. Answers to what, Jackson and Jo weren't exactly sure, they didn't really ask for her to elaborate either. Jackson offered to come along, but Riley politely declined, giving the excuse that she needed a little time on the road to herself. So now, on day eight of hanging around at the Hallowell Cabin, Jo sat on the old and worn La-Z-Boy recliner with a magazine on her lap, carelessly flipping through the pages. Jackson played a game of handball by himself, pounding the small blue ball against the wooden panels, each pang making Jo wince out of sheer annoyance.

Jo almost jumped out of her chair when the constant sound of the ball hitting the wall stopped. She sent a curious glance in Jackson's direction, her brows furrowing when she saw him slumped against the couch, his handball abandoned on the floor and his cellphone held close to his face as he read whatever was on his screen with a frown. Jo quirked a brow at him.

"What's up?"

Jackson glanced up at Jo, a bit of surprise crossing his features when he realized she had been staring at him. He snapped his phone shut and tossed it on top of the coffee table where his feet were resting. Jackson grinned at the blonde and shrugged his shoulders.

"I think I just found ourselves a case."

Jo's brows raised to her hairline. "_You _wanna go hunting? Right now?"

"Why not?"

Jo hesitated for a moment. "What about Riles?"

Jackson's brows furrowed as he contemplated on how to respond to that. He shook his head as he stared at his feet that were propped up on the coffee table. "I think... I think Riley is battling her own demons right now." He looked back up at Jo. "So, why don't we go find some of our own and fight some evil sons of a bitches?"

When Jo didn't respond right away, Jackson added, "Besides, I don't exactly want to hang around here any longer than I have to." He paused for a moment, probably relaying the unhappy memories of what happened to his father in this very house. "For obvious reasons... _obviously_."

Jo sighed as she pushed herself out of her seat and tossed the magazine onto the table. Her eyes bored into Jackson's cobalt blue irises and she gave a single nod. "What do you got?"

* * *

Riley put her truck in park and stared silently stared out the windshield. She wasn't sure why she hadn't come to Bobby Singer from the very beginning—it was a known fact that Bobby was well versed in the art of knowing about all random crap that is supernatural, so maybe there is a chance that he could find something more on the pendant other than what she and Ash had already found out. And the few things that they did discover only brought up more questions. They figured out that the pendant was originally owned by the famous gun-maker—Samuel Colt himself, and the fact that the demons wanted it. Badly. Riley understood their want for the gun Colt had created—that thing could actually _kill_ a demon, not just send them back to hell, but actually put an end to them for good. Riley got that. But what the hell did they want with the pendant? It was literally just that—a pendant that reminded Riley of a pizza pie. From what Riley and Ash gathered so far, the pendant doesn't do anything all that special, and it sure as hell wasn't meant to be worn as a fashion statement. Riley wasn't really one to keep up with the recent trends, but she knew that no one would be caught dead wearing that thing—it was _hideous_.

And lets be honest, no demon would want that pendant just to be fashionable.

Riley knew there was more to it.

So the real question here is: what is it then?

Why do the demons want it? What is it? Why did her father have it? Why did her father suddenly give it to Jackson's father and then give it to Jackson to _protect_?

What the hell was the purpose of it?

Riley had no idea, but maybe Bobby Singer could come up with an answer or two.

She let out a sigh as she opened the car door and hopped out. There was the sound of a door squeaking open, which made Riley turn around. Bobby stood at the door with his shotgun in hand, he quirked a brow at her. "Well, I ain't standing here all day. Get your ass inside, Harvelle."

Riley smiled tiredly and she shut the door to her truck. "Hello to you too, Bobby."

Bobby only rolled his eyes and spun on his heels, walking back inside. Riley followed him silently, her mind racing as to how she was going to relay all this new information on the older hunter. Just as she closed his front door and turned around, Riley was suddenly splashed with what she could only assume to be holy water. She squeezed her eyes shut and took a slow breath before opening her eyes and sending Bobby a glare.

"I'm not possessed, Bobby."

Bobby only shrugged his shoulders, not looking at all apologetic. "Well, can't be too cautious, now can we?" he said, raising his brows. "Remember your last trip over here?"

Riley scoffed, shooting the old man a sarcastic look. "_Oh_! How could I ever forget that?"

That had been a stupid question to ask. Of course she remembered her last venture to the Singer Salvage—when the youngest Winchester was possessed by a demon from their past. Riley had a front row seat to the whole fiasco and even walked away with a broken rib or two.

"Idjit," he muttered, shaking his head as he strolled over to his desk. Once he plopped himself in his seat, he glanced up at Riley with his usual semi-annoyed expression plastered on his tired face. "What'ya want?"

"Always so blunt," Riley whispered to herself. She stepped closer to his desk and shoved a hand inside her jean pocket, grabbing the old drawing of the pendant. She didn't bother to unfold it as she tossed the paper onto his desk. Pointing a finger at it, Riley asked, "What do you know about that?"

"The hell is this?"

That's the million dollar question—well one of them. There were too many questions that still desired answers. Riley's hope of Bobby having some sort of information that they didn't already now diminished more and more by the second, especially as she stared at the grizzled hunter's face scrunch up in confusion. She huffed. "I don't know. That's why I'm asking you."

His brows furrowed deeply as he stared down at the drawing with mild curiosity. "Where did you get this?" he questioned, rubbing his fingers to feel the texture of the paper. "Some kind of book?"

Riley grimly shook her head as she sat down in the seat across from Bobby. "No," she admitted softly. "Um, a couple months ago, two demons lured me into some abandoned farmhouse—I thought Jackson was in trouble…" she trailed off, pursing her lips as she recalled on the memory. "Anyway, long story short is that the demons thought that I had that—" She pointed to the picture, "but it turns out that Eric Hallowell had it. Apparently, my father had given it to him and Eric gave it to Jackson just before he died. Told him to protect it."

"So yer daddy originally had it then?" Bobby asked, raising his brows.

Riley shrugged her shoulders, just as confused as Bobby was. "Apparently. And guess what else we found out?" She leaned in closer to Bobby. "Samuel Colt made it. This was his."

Bobby gaped, glancing down at the picture before looking back up at Riley. "_Samuel_ _Colt_? As in the gunmaker, supernatural hunter—Samuel Colt?"

Riley nodded. "Yup."

Bobby looked absolutely baffled at the sudden information. "So… the real question is why did your daddy have this thing that Colt made?"

"That," Riley quickly agreed, then added, "and why did Samuel Colt make this thing in the first place? As far as we know, it's just some pendant. But I highly doubt Colt made it just to be… fashionable."

"Would explain why the demons want to get their hands on it too," Bobby grumbled. He blew out a sigh and glanced at Riley. "Do ya have this thing with you?"

"No," Riley shook her head. "After we found out that Jackson had it, we locked up in the safe. Demons can't touch it."

"Smart move." He glanced around the library before grabbing at the first book he could see and then tossed it on Riley's lap. "Let's hit the books then."

* * *

Jackson wasn't quite sure why he did it. He knew that he could've just said something and Jo would have understood… right? He didn't like keep secrets, being secretive—basically anything that involves secrets, lying, and hide the truth—Jackson didn't like it one bit. But he did it anyway. And there seemed to be more and more secrets piling up as time went on. The phone call he received a week ago at the roadhouse hadn't been who Riley and Ash assumed it to be. No, Ian Wilson called him, there was an urgency in his voice as he told Jackson that he needed to discuss important matters with him, something that could not be discussed over the phone. That alone had raised warning bells in Jackson's mind, but he followed through with their arranged meeting anyway.

He had planned to take a trip to Minnesota to one of Ian's cabins before he found out that Ellen had booted them out of the roadhouse. He was the one who proposed the idea to go stay at the Hallowell Cabin, knowing that it wouldn't be a far trip if he were to go meet with Ian from there. He would be able to confront his friend about whatever it was that needed to be _discussed_ as Ian so vaguely put it and be back at the cabin before any real suspicion arises from Riley or Jo. But Riley ended up leaving just a few days into their stay—claiming that Bobby Singer might hold some answers to the mystery pendant. It was a good lead, if anyone would know anything about it, it definitely would be Bobby.

Then there was Jo.

Their stay at the cabin had only brought on much more tension between the Harvelles. Even though Riley stood her ground next to her cousin, Jo still had doubts. Jackson knew Riley wouldn't be ecstatic for her cousin to live the life of a hunter if she didn't have to—and she didn't have to, not really. Of course, she'd always be associated with hunters, always be involved in the supernatural world. Come on, her mother runs a saloon and the main crowd of paying customers are hunters. But did she really have to go out there and put her ass on the line?

No, she didn't.

But she wanted to.

And who really could stop Jo Harvelle from doing what she wants?

Jo said that she wanted to hunt—practically drove Riley up the wall demanding why she wasn't willing to go kill some monsters while they were at the cabin. Jackson saw the tiredness in Riley's eyes, he also caught the fear—that panicked look one would get when they get backed up into a corner. He didn't question her about it though, because he wasn't quite sure what to even ask. But one thing he did know was that Riley was not up for a real monster hunt, she just wasn't. So her taking a ride over to Bobby's place was the right decision. Jo needed to blow off steam—get rid of all that pent-up anger she held towards her mother after the big blow-out over hunting. She needed something to keep her busy, so Jackson sending her on a wild goose chase for a hunt seemed like a good idea.

And what a wild goose chase it was.

Jackson really had nothing to go on when he told her that he found them a case. The truth was—he didn't find a case. Their run-in with a shapeshifter at a small-town bar had been totally coincidental. But, there was no way in hell Jackson was going to tell her that. As far as Jo knew—them hunting down the shifter had been their little monster hunt Jackson had set them on from the get go. It seemed as though luck had been on his side on that one.

And his luck continued on, as not long after the shifter had taken a silver bullet to it's cold, evil heart, Jo had gotten a phone call from the hunter's bar she had spent time working at over the months, the owner Jim had asked if she could bartend for the next several days as his other bartender Amy had disappeared. Jo accepted and immediately asked if Amy's disappearance had been over a supernatural issue, but the truth was nobody knew. Jo had promised Jackson in front of the bar that if it did turn out to be a case, that she'd call him and they can figure it out together. She wished him a safe trip back to the cabin, seeing that he didn't have any real purpose for staying in Minnesota now that the case was finished. So he hopped back in his baby blue jeep, and he _didn't_ drive back to the Hallowell Cabin.

No, there were important matters that needed to be discussed elsewhere.

Jackson Hallowell leaned his shoulder against the old wooden door frame of the broken down shack Wilson called one of his safe houses. He had been there for a good fifteen minutes now and Ian hadn't uttered a single word to him. Jackson huffed. "You're lucky there was an actual case here and that Jo got called in to bartend at that hunter's saloon." He crossed his arms in front of his chest and narrowed his cobalt blue eyes at Ian. "You wanna tell me _why_ I'm here, man?"

Ian didn't look up to meet his eyes. "Where's Riley?"

"Pendant duty. Last I heard, it wasn't going well," Jackson said tiredly. His brows furrowed. "Why?"

Ian had his hands pressed onto the old splintered wooden table as he continued to stare at the many stacks of papers, books, and file folders. His usual calm and collective appearance was nowhere to be seen, instead, his entire body seemed rigid and his expression gave away nothing but pure determination. He tore his eyes away from the papers and his deep blue eyes met Jackson's demanding ones. The words that came out of his mouth a few seconds later were powerful enough to give Jackson whiplash.

"I think I know a way to get your dad out of hell."

* * *

**A/N:** So this chapter was poopoo in my opinion. And I apologize for any errors I've missed. It definitely was more on the filler side, but there were a lot of hints for what's to come in the near future—and I mean like a crap load of hints, actually. I've decided that the Spring Break hunt that was supposed to be this chapter will probably be pushed for season three. Next up—All Hell Breaks Loose Pt. 1. And shit is really going to hit the fan.

I apologize for not getting this chapter out sooner, I've been pretty sick and had some other stuff going on, which made writing up these chapters a lot harder to do. So I'm hoping to get the next chapter up soon. Come find me on tumblr to see some sneak peek stuff of what's to come. :)

Oh! And on July 25th made one year since the first chapter of this story was published. Wouldn't have gotten this far if it weren't for you guys, so thank you!

Love you all, and until next time!

* * *

**Review Responses:**

**NicoleR85: **Oh yeah—Riley is too nice for her own good. But you've gotta understand that Riley felt as though she was at fault in everything. In the beginning of the story she told Jo that she shouldn't be out there hunting, being that she has no real experience and that it's a dangerous life to lead. But then she goes out there and hunts with Jackson. It's seems a tad bit hypocritical on her end. Hence, why she started taking Jo on hunts (Scream of a Witch ch. 5). Riley would rather Jo hunt with her than alone. But don't worry, spoiler alert: there will be a blow out between them sometime during season three, and Jo will be at fault. There is so much crap that's going to happen and I can't wait to write it all haha! Anyway, thank you so much for the review and support, lovely! Sorry that I take forever to get these chapters out!

**January Lily: **Ah thank you so much! I figured that I needed a new banner change—and one with Jackson in it, haha! He's a pretty big player in the story so of course he needed to be included! I'm glad that I kept everyone in character—that is one major thing that always worries me when it comes to writing original chapters like this one. And you're right—writing original chapters is so damn difficult. Hence another reason why this chapter took nearly two months to get out. Hahahaha! Jackson and Riley are basically a mirror image of my brother and I, especially with the kind of close relationship they share. I guess the kind of bond they share was inspired by me and my brother. And I love them soo much too, but they are my characters so I guess my opinion is kinda bias on that one, haha. Riley and Jackson have the kind of relationship that I don't think anyone could quite understand, they are on such a different level and have this deep bond with each other that can't really even be put into words (either that or I am just too tired to think right now haha, it's like nearly 2AM as I'm writing this). But their relationship grows even more throughout season three and it's honestly going to be so fun to write! And as for splitting the seasons—that's my plan. I decided to make it into a separate story, especially like you said with the themes. Season three is going to be crazy and I'm so excited to get to that point lol! Anyway, I'll cut off my rambling! Thank you so much for your lovely review and the fan girling! Reading your reviews always puts a huge smile on my face! As always, hope all is well and I shall talk to you soon via tumblr! Love you! xoxox

**switchbladeheart:** Hey girly—sorry I've been like MIA for freaking ever. I am so happy that you liked the chapter and that I had made your week more bearable! Oh my lord—don't get me started on those two! The plans I have for those two next season—I am so excited! Don't you worry, more dorkiness and adorableness are soon to come! :D Abby is really sweet and bluntly honest, a little bit of a nervous nelly and definitely on the clumsy side! A total opposite of her brother who was mentioned and will make an appearance sometime in season three (and scare the living hell out of poor Jackson lol). And oh my god, you are so right! I think it was more of Abby's reaction to finding out about the supernatural that gave the Kevin feels. And don't worry, I'm right there with you. Riley and Jackson forever, man. Ah yes, Jo and Riley made up—finally! And I am so happy that you liked the chestervelle moments, I tried, haha! Oh Sam and Riley are my babies! And you aren't the only one, I am dying to just to get to that point in the story already, haha! And I'm glad you like the whole other side of the story, aside from the canon. It makes the story itself more interesting and it gives the reader something new to read. We already know what happens because canon, and when I watched the episodes that included the roadhouse—especially when the show first introduced the roadhouse and Dean questioned Ellen just how they knew everything, it got me thinking of the idea. So thank you, I'm glad you like it! Thank you so much for the review and I promise to PM you back ASAP! Hope all is well, girl! :)

**MS. QUEEN 21:** Thank you so much! I'm glad you liked the chapter and the story! And major apologies for taking forever to get this chapter out! Hope you liked this chapter! :)

**S.H.E.I.K: **I apologize. But it definitely wasn't happy tears when writing the final scene of chapter five. :( Thanks for the review!

**Emilia Christine: **Oh yeah! Last chapter was definitely a big Jackson chapter—honestly it was a big everybody chapter, there was so much going on haha! LMAO I'm glad you liked the fake ceremony scene, and of course Jackson would ask that! He is so clueless sometimes! ;D But we still love him! Oh the adorableness is only just getting started! We will be seeing more of Abby in season three and I can't wait to write it! :) Yes, there were definitely a lot of feels going on with Sam and Riley! I mean the tie thing, and then the dance?! Is it sad that I fangirl over my own stuff, haha? XD I'm really glad that you liked the chapter, I enjoyed writing it! Hope you enjoyed this one too! Hope all is well, girly and thanks so much for the review! :)


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